Chess
by KW2009
Summary: Harry finds out the truth about his parents. Creature/Veela fic. Dumbledore bashing. Het/Slash. LM/SS and many more later. M/M M/F. No Horcruxes. Rated M to be safe.
1. Truth Revealed

_OK, so i have started a few stories since i last posted, but i never finish. This started in 2010 and has been running through my head this week so I decided to just post it. That way I cannot just ignore it, really. It's just this chapter so far. I will continue depending on the response._

_There may be some OOC here, especially Snape. This will be explained, promise. If he is too OOC, please let me know. _

_I have no idea what warnings to put in at the moment, but there will be definate slash. If you have read my previous stories, you'll know I like to be cruel to my characters so expect torture etc as well. _

**The One Where The Truth is Revealed (PROLOGUE)**

Harry stared down at his parchment. He was utterly confused. He heard Hermione gasp and turned to look at her results. They were correct, so why had his not worked?

He heard Snape approaching, checking every student's results. He heard some sneered questions asking how it was possible to get it so wrong. Harry had to wonder the same. He had thought that if the potion was wrong, nothing would show up. The parchment should not have reacted.

"Potter," Snape started. A slight hesitation then, "Is this some kind of a joke, Potter?" his voice low, menacing.

Harry opened and closed his mouth, unable to speak.

"He did it correctly, sir. We did it at the same time, and my names are correct. Quite clever considering my parents are Muggles." Hermione was nervous, he could tell.

Harry looked up to see Snape glaring at her. He looked furious.

"You will do the check again Potter. This time I will watch as you seem incapable of doing such a simple task unaccompanied."

Harry shrugged. He was quite used to being picked out in Potions class this year. Sixth year Potions had not been easy and it was only three weeks into term. Snape had been furious when Harry had received an O in his OWL, knowing some of the specifics of Polyjuice potion that no fifth year should have known, and had been trying to push Harry since. Harry assumed Snape wanted him to lose his temper and walk out but Harry refused to allow Snape to win this time. Even if it meant they both lost.

Harry scooped a vial of the potion out of the cauldron, pricked his finger again and let a drop of blood drop in. He stirred the concoction twice, then took a pipette and squeezed up a drop of the potion/blood mix. He then looked up at Snape, raised an eyebrow, looked back down and squeezed the mix out onto the fresh parchment.

He heard Hermione hold her breath as the letters swirled, and Harry was hoping he had somehow done it incorrectly the first time, or that something had gone wrong and he maybe had Malfoy's results instead of his own.

The tension was thick and Harry soon realised the entire classroom was watching. Harry watched in mounting confusion as the same words were written in black:

_Severus Tobias Snape (Maternal)_

_Lucius Abraxas Malfoy (Paternal)_

Harry looked up at Snape, who had paled slightly, and was glaring at the parchment. He watched as Snape snatched it up off the table to hold it in front of his face.

As if that would change the words on the page.

Hermione had gasped again, and Harry could see her looking between Harry and Snape with mounting worry and horror.

Harry couldn't see why – someone had obviously played a trick. Not only was it simply ridiculous – men did not have babies, quite simple – but he was the spitting image of his father, James Potter and had his mother's eyes.

Harry stared back, unworried until Snape threw a harsh glare at the room and snapped, "Class dismissed!" They did not have to be told twice and Harry watched as the class quickly packed up their things, vanished their potions and practically ran out of the room. Harry started packing up as well, but Snape stopped him with a tight, "Not you Potter."

He looked at Hermione. Her eyes had started to water and she was looking at him as though she thought he was going to die.

He was pretty sure Snape would not hurt him. Right?

When the room was empty, Snape looked back at him. He was still furious, but now there was something else in his eyes which made shivers run down Harry's back.

"Follow me Potter." Snape walked towards his office, cloak billowing behind him as only Snape seemed to manage.

"What is going on, Professor? It's obviously wrong, so what's the big deal? Someone must have cast some kind of spell on me or something."

"It is not possible to alter DNA, Potter. Regardless of any potions running through your blood, or any spells on your person, the potion is designed to read your DNA and magically locate your birth parents. It cannot be tricked."

"Ok, so then the potion was wrong."

"The potion was perfect Potter. That much was obvious without Granger's results proving to be correct."

"Wow, I bet it was painful admitting that." Harry mumbled, and then asked Snape, "So why are the results wrong then?"

"With a correct potion and correct check, there is no way the results are wrong."

Harry stood still, staring at Snape with his mouth agape.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Harry laughed as he exclaimed, "Are you telling me you're my father?"

Sanep's lack of response caused Harry to freeze. Cold chills ran down his body and he found himself unable to move or talk. He shook himself. There was no way.

This made no sense. What at first had been a confusing joke was suddenly turning into some horrific Muggle movie.

Harry followed Snape around to the desk in his office. Snape pulled a potion off the shelf, and a knife out of his drawer. The potions Professor pulled the knife across his hand, creating a deep red gash, which bubbled with blood before it ran freely. Harry gasped, feeling a bit ill.

Snape allowed the blood to fall into the potion, turning it iridescent white, and then a dense black.

"What is that?"

Snape did not answer; instead he cleaned the knife using a wandless/wordless spell and then handed it to Harry. Harry just stared at it.

"Take the knife Potter. Cut your hand as I just did." The man was deathly calm. Harry wasn't sure what was worse – the furious Snape or this man who just seemed ominous. Harry felt as though he was walking to his death as he shakily took the knife from Snape and did as he was told.

He pulled the knife along his skin as described and hissed as the pain spread through his palm and up his hand. He watched as blood bubbled out of the cut as it had with Snape, and then held his hand over the potion, allowing the blood to drip in as the Professor had.

After a couple of drops, Snape passed him a cloth and said, "That's enough potter." Harry was surprised to hear his voice was soft now. Harry grabbed the cloth and wrapped it around his hand, cradling his arm.

The potion swirled black and red, and Harry found himself asking what it was again. He hadn't expected an answer, but apparently the soft voice meant Snape was calm enough to speak to him civilly.

"It is Reperiortus Parentis." A DNA test, in Muggle speak.

Harry could only stare in horror.

"If it goes red, it means I am your maternal parent. If it turns a yellow or green, it means we are related by blood but not directly. If it stays black, then there is no relation."

Harry was staring at the potion the whole time, as was Snape. He had to wonder why Snape had bothered mentioning the last part about the potion remaining black – the potion was already burgundy.

The potion continued to lighten, and Harry felt himself going numb, the truth painfully creeping into his conscious.

"Men cannot have babies."

Snape scoffed. "Some magical being races are unisexual."

As if that answered the question. Although, Harry supposed, it did. Snape was probably a vampire, Harry thought spitefully, knowing full well that vampires were not a unisexual species.

The potion was red now.

Harry felt betrayed. His parents were James and Lily Potter, but here in front of him was evidence of the contrary. Was Snape tricking him? Harry immediately shook that thought away – what reason would he have to do that? Besides, this was just a confirmation – two different sets of parchment had told him the same thing. Harry suddenly remembered Hermione's face and realised she knew the truth.

How had this happened? Had he been given up at birth? Snape hated Harry. Had he known? Surely Snape would not have bothered running the test if he had known. He would have just kept it secret and not had the class create the potions they had today.

Somebody must have known. Harry wondered if Sirius and Remus had known, but figured they both hated Snape and would of hated Harry too if they had known he and Snape were related.

He could feel Snape's eyes on him. He was still calm. Almost soft? Harry knew what he had known all along – Snape had not been aware that Harry was his son.

The thought made him feel sick. Son. Snape was his father. Mother? How had this happened?

"So what are you? Vampire?" Harry questioned, throwing the Vampire part in with spite.

"Veela."

Harry coughed and laughed. Veela were light beings, literally. They had white hair, pale skin and pale everything else. The very epitome of Draco Malfoy. Harry stopped that thought, pained at the fact he could have a brother who was one of his worst enemies.

"A Dark Veela. An all male species, extremely rare, powerful and strong. There is too little information for a sixth year student to have any knowledge on us, except maybe Granger. We can only conceive with our Mates." Harry noticed Snape voice cracked a little at the word "Mate".

This meant Lucius Malfoy was Snape's mate, and Harry's paternal parent. Also his father. He had two dads – or did he call Snape 'Mum' now?

"So, does this mean I call you Mum?" Harry asked. He was pretty sure he was losing his mind. Snape just stared at him, looking completely calm. Harry vaguely recalled his Defense lessons with Remus, and how Veela were extraordinarily protective of their young and had an inability to cause them pain. He wondered if that applied to dark Veela too.

The thought caused all false humour to leave him, and one question to enter his mind. What happened?

"So how did I end up a Potter?" he questioned. Harry had been going for curious, but his tone was angry.

It was as though this question had removed Mum!Snape and put back Normal!Snape. The dark haired professor suddenly glared at the potion, then stormed out of the classroom muttering "That's a fantastic question."

Harry stared at where Snape had been stood for a second before running after the man.


	2. Dumbledore and Veritaserium

**The One With Dumbledore and Veritaserum**

Harry had a difficult time keeping up with Snape's furious strides; the man must have been at least a head taller than Harry. They seemed to be making their way to Dumbledore's office, which made sense to Harry because if anyone would know what had happened, it would be the leader of the light.

Harry had never trusted Snape, but he knew Dumbledore respected the man and trusted him with Harry's life. This had been proven time and again.

Harry could feel the rage pouring off the man as he practically marched through the corridors of Hogwarts. Never had Harry seen him this angry before, a thought which worried him a little bit. Someone was going to get hurt, he could feel it.

Harry's mind refused to think further on the most recent revelation. At the moment he seemed to be running on adrenalin and curiosity. Curiosity as to why Snape was so angry and how the hell this had happened. The professor was acting like the most important thing in the world had been stolen from him.

Harry wondered if that was the case. He would not think on it too much, but a small part him was hoping that it was so. He had never felt wanted before; he'd never been loved unconditionally like a parent automatically loved their child.

Harry had to remind himself that this was Snape. Evil, Death Eating, Potions Extraordinaire with a nasty temper and bad personal hygiene. He hated Harry.

Snape hated Harry.

They had arrived at Dumbledore's office, the Veela shouting out a password so fast Harry barely caught it, as distracted as he was. Snape practically ran up the stairs, and barged into Dumbledore's office without knocking.

Harry ran after him, following closely. Dumbledore was sat behind his desk, head snapping up to look at them when they barged into his domain. He actually looked surprised to see them. Harry wondered if the surprise was caused by their entrance or the fact that they were together and not yelling obscenely at each other.

Snape stopped in front of the Headmaster's desk and stared down at the man in what Harry could only describe as disgust and fury.

Why was Snape angry with Dumbledore of all people?

Dumbledore eyed Snape and Harry, looking wary. Snape pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket, which Harry recognised as the parchment with his potion results on. He watched as Snape calmly passed the letter to Dumbledore. Dumbledore took it, looking at it curiously before unfolding it and reading the contents.

He paled quite drastically, and the look of guilt on his face made Harry feel sick. What had Dumbledore done?

He could not meet Snape's eyes. Looking anywhere but at the man, or even Harry, Dumbledore shakily stated, "you told me that potion was taken off the syllabus, Severus."

Harry could feel the Professor trembling in rage beside him and unconsciously took a step back.

"There are a lot of things I tell you that aren't true, Albus. Apparently, you are not a stranger to such acts. Tell me, have you told any little white lies lately?" Snape looked a little bit psychotic right now, Harry noted.

Harry watched Dumbledore take a large sigh. He suddenly looked every bit of his one hundred plus years, and resigned to whatever Snape was going to throw at him.

"I see. And your sixth year potions class have all taken this test today?"

Snape merely sneered. Harry wondered if he was resisting the urge to reply with some sarcastic comment along the lines of, "no I just picked Harry out as I hate him so much and wanted to cause him pain by forcing him to stab himself", but figured the situation was too serious. Snape certainly seemed deathly serious, and seriously enraged.

"Did anyone else see the results?"

"Why does that matter, Albus? Are you planning on Obliviating us now?" Snape had bent down and snarled in the Headmaster's face. Harry was glad he had never made the man this angry – he was scary right now. The potions professor stood up straight hissing, "The entire class saw the results, old man."

Dumbledore nodded slightly, still staring at the parchment in his hands with the two names in black swirly writing.

There was silence for a while. Harry just stared at Snape, then Dumbledore, then back at Snape until someone made a move.

It was Dumbledore – "Severus-"

"Do not feed me lies, Albus. I want the truth. If you even think to avoid this, I swear I will force Veritaserum down your throat." Snape snarled, glaring fiercely at the Headmaster and Harry knew the professor was deadly serious.

Dumbledore seemed unable to talk, however. It was as though he had been hit with a Silencio.

Snape quickly lost his temper. Harry watched in horror as the man walked around the desk, grabbed Dumbledore by the neck and forced his mouth open. Snape took a small potion vial out of his pocket – what looked like the potion he had threatened Dumbledore with – and poured a small amount down the old man's throat. Harry wondered why Dumbledore had let that happen. The man was the most powerful light wizard in the world – he should have stopped Snape, so why didn't he?

Snape stared at him until it was obvious the potion had taken effect. Voice vibrating with barely contained fury, he snarled in a deathly calm voice, "You told me he died." Snape stood up straight and screamed, "You told me my son was dead! I saw him!"

Dumbledore was fighting the potion, but a reluctant, "yes" was forced out of him.

"You lied! My son is very much alive, standing in this room, under the alias of one of my former enemies!"

Harry shuffled on the spot, wanting the floor to swallow him alive. Hearing those words from Snape's mouth had sent shivers down his spine and reality came crashing back with a sickening thud. Dumbledore had caused this. Dumbledore had taken him from Snape when he was a baby, and he had somehow ended up with the Potters.

Had they known who he was and that he had been kidnapped from his family?

Snape took a deep breath, attempting to clear his head of the rage clouding his thoughts enough to ask questions that would get an actual answer.

"What happened after I fell asleep?" Even calm, Snape still looked furious. Harry, who had backed away during Snape's furious yells, stepped forward to hear the answers Dumbledore would be forced to tell.

"Lily's baby was stillborn. James and Lily were inconsolable – furious that the Medi-witches had not been able to save him. Furious that Voldemort's tyranny had caused so much stress. I could not allow Harry to grow up with you and Lucius, knowing how powerful he would be, when you were both on his side. I suggested a swap, pointing out the obvious truths behind having someone so powerful on the light side and Lily and James easily agreed to it. While you were asleep after giving birth, I snuck in with the Potter's dead baby and swapped him over with yours. You had been so exhausted by the birth that you were practically delirious. No one noticed."

Harry felt every ounce of rage Snape had. Dumbledore had lied, and tricked Harry into trusting him. The one man who had consistently lied to him his whole life.

"Why does he look like James Potter?"

"I used an adoption potion with James and Lily's blood in. It gave Harry the dominate characteristics of James with a few qualities of Lily. We charmed his eyes the same emerald green as Lily."

"And his Veela? How did you suppress his Veela instincts?"

"A potion."

"Which one, Albus?" Snape was furious again and Harry had to wonder if there was a potion that could have harmed him, hence setting off the maternal instincts of the Veela.

"Inhibitus. Completely reversible and painless."

"I'm aware of what it does, Dumbledore. Why did you do this to me?" Snape looked pained, glaring at Dumbledore, face twisted in agony.

"There was a Prophecy concerning Harry and the Dark Lord. It stated that with the Veela on the Dark side, they would prevail and the light would perish. I could not let that happen, Severus."

"Do not twist this around Albus. You stole my child from me. There is no condoning that, good intentions or not! You have no right to force somebody to another side of a war!"

"Severus, my boy, I am sorry. I did regret what I was forced to do but please understand I had no choice. You have to forgive me for this." Dumbledore pleaded, and Harry just stared at him, wondering if he'd lost his mind. He was under the potion, so we obviously meant what he said. Harry knew Snape would never forgive the man for this, and Harry knew that he himself would never willingly set eyes on the man again, let alone forgive him.

Harry had been forced to stay with the Dursley's. Dumbledore knew he hated them, but he'd stated blood wards were protecting him. Harry snarled, unable to stop himself. Harry had no relation to Petunia Dursley what-so-ever. He had been treated like a house else and abused for nothing. Harry felt a whole different wave of hate.

Before Snape could reply to the Headmaster's insane rambling, Harry questioned, "And the Dursley's? What was your reason for keeping me with them when you knew they hated me, when you knew I hated them? How many times did I ask to stay with the Weasley's, who were more than happy to have me there? They loved me like another son, but you still forced me to remain with the Dursley's! My so-call 'blood' relatives!"

Again, Dumbledore didn't seem to want answer this question. He wrestled with the potion for longer this time, and Harry knew he would not like the answer.

Bowing his head, eyes closing, Dumbledore answered, "You asked me multiple times, every summer. But I could not allow you to know the love of a family. Knowing only dislike and disgust at home meant that Hogwarts became the only happiness you knew. The magical world would become your home, and you would need to protect it."

Something in Snape seemed to break. Before Harry could blink, the old man was screaming in agony on the floor. Harry looked wide-eyed at Dumbledore, then over to Snape who was holding a fist in mid-air, a look of pure agony and rage on his face. Harry felt a slight pain in his chest at the look.

Snape kept him under the spell for a few seconds before releasing the man.

Dumbledore attempted to sit up, panting heavily. "Severus, you must understand-"

"I will never understand! You took away the one thing that should have given me some happiness in my life. You turned my own son against me by giving him to the people who tortured me in school. You destroyed my life when I trusted you! I turned away from the Dark Lord because you were the only person to show me any kindness, and I have loved you like a father since! How dare you sit there and try to rationalise what you did! You are the reason for the past 16 years of pain I have survived. I trusted you and I loved you! How dare you! HOW DARE YOU?"

Snape's hand came up again, but this time it was open. Harry watched as it slowly started to close before he heard a choking sound and turned to see Dumbledore clutching his throat. Harry looked at the man in horror before turning to Snape to see tears pooling in his eyes, face pale and twisted in agony still. He realised that Snape was going to kill Dumbledore, and then he would probably be sent to Azkaban.

The thought had Harry screaming before he could stop himself.

"No! Stop! Please, stop!" He grabbed hold of Snape's arm and tried to push his hand down, staring at his father head on to try and knock some sense in to him. "Please stop, you're no good to me in Azkaban!" Harry started to panic when Snape didn't seem to hear him. Tears had started running down his cheeks as well.

Harry turned to look at Dumbledore, who was still clutching his neck and looking at Snape with pleading in his eyes.

"Don't look at me like that! Stop looking at me as though _I_ am the one betraying _you_! I have every right to do this. You stole a Veela baby from it's mother! _I have every right_! I have every right."

Snape's protests trailed off at the end. Harry realised Snape did not have it in him to kill the man he had considered a father for 16 years, kidnapping or no.

Snape's hand loosened, and then finally fell limply at his side. Harry felt relief wash through him and turned to look his father in the eye again. Snape was still watching Dumbledore, then his eyes turned to look at Harry and he felt his breath hitch and the pain in the Potion's Master's eyes.

Harry couldn't speak under Snape's intent gaze. He shifted a little, feeling uncomfortable.

Snape frowned. "This feels wrong. You feel wrong."

Harry hadn't realised how much hope he had been feeling until that comment and then everything went cold. Snape was rejecting him. Harry froze in his devastation, unable to move for seconds before backing away from the man, head bowed. He should have known this would happen. He had been right – the man hated him. Not even this most recent revelation could change that fact, obviously.

Harry felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up at the man in front of him.

"Your Veela has been suppressed. The Veela in me is distressed because it cannot sense a connection. Do not doubt that the human side of me feels the same way, Harry. You are my son now and forever. That will not change." He took a deep breath, and Harry nodded feeling relief wash through him again, even as he frowned at the name 'Harry'.

This had been a long day.

"We need to reverse the potion suppressing your instincts. " Snape seemed to have run out of rage. His voice was soft and flat, and Harry noticed he looked even paler than before.

"OK, how do we do that?"

"There is only one person powerful enough, besides Dumbledore," the name was growled, Harry was glad to notice, "that has the knowledge and ability to reverse the affects of a potion given to you at birth, Harry. We are going to need to visit the Dark Lord."

"What? He'll kill me before we even get to explain!" Harry suddenly realised Voldemort had killed the people who had kidnapped him. Even so, he had been the reason Dumbledore had left him at the Dursley's.

He certainly felt no want to fight him, though. Harry felt no loyalty to the light as it was now. With Dumbledore leading them, Harry would never be able to fight for them again. He was not a dark wizard, however, and he would not become a Death Eater.

"He most certainly will not. I will not let that happen – I would stand in front of any curse he throws at you before losing you again. However, he no longer wants you dead, Harry. He wants you on his side. He will not automatically attack, which will give me a chance to explain."

"I will not become a Death Eater, Snape! Why would he want to help us if I will not join him! Once he knows, he'll just kill us both and be done with it!"

"Your low opinion of the Dark Lord is understandable, Harry. Please know that I feel the same way about Tom Riddle as I did about Albus Dumbledore. I have never been sided with one as it was not possible to choose between them. They are the only people who have ever shown me kindness, aside from Lucius. I have been betrayed by Albus in the worst possible way. If I felt that you would be in danger, I would not take you. Trust that."

Harry had trusted Snape with his life before he found out that man was his father. He now trusted Snape completely. After all that had occurred in the short time in Dumbledore's office, Harry knew Snape would never betray or hurt him.

Besides, there was no one else who could reverse the potion and Harry knew he had to know what it was like to be loved completely. Harry could not stand the idea of his father's Veela disliking him.

Harry nodded, resigned to the fact that his life had taken a drastic u-turn. "You told Dumbledore that you turned against the Dark Lord, though."

Snape shook his head. "I turned away. I was completely loyal, enthralled, until you 'died' and Dumbledore supported me through the loss. He showed me nothing but affection, which I fell for easily." He seemed disgusted with himself. Harry wanted to show him that he shouldn't be, but couldn't bring himself to move towards the Professor. "I was essentially a spy for both sides."

Harry knew it. He had never believed Snape was a spy for the light.

Snape shook himself, and then turned to Harry. "Pack your trunk. We may be gone a while."

* * *

><p>AN If at any point this gets sappy or fluffy, please let me know. I will need to include some kind of torture to even it out.

Thanks to those who reviewed. It's nice to know people are excited about the same things I am ;)


	3. Lucius Malfoy

A/N: I'm enjoying writing this story. I quite like putting Snape and co. in uncomfortable positions. *grins* Advice on Harry's pairing would be appreciated. Someone suggested Voldemort, which had crossed my mind, but as Snape thinks of him as a parent, and Snape is Harry's parent, it seems weird. He's 70 years old and looks like a snake, as well. What do people think about a trio 'ship? Two mates for our lovely Grey Veela.

**The One With Lucius Malfoy**

_Snape shook himself, and then turned to Harry. "Pack your trunk. We may be gone a while."_

Harry felt torn. He did not want to leave his friends, but the idea of staying here made him feel sick.

He didn't look at Snape as he nodded and walked out of the office. Snape followed closely behind. Once at the bottom of the stairs, the professor paused and called, "Harry?" He stopped, turning to look at his father. "What is it?"

Harry just shook his head. He could not explain to a man like Snape how much his friends meant to him.

They walked to the Gryffindor tower in silence. Though his head was bowed and he was staring at the floor, not quite seeing, he could feel Snape's eyes on him the whole way. Snape left him at the portrait with instructions to not leave the common room without him. Snape would return to collect Harry.

Harry walked into the common room. Seeing the room was empty, Harry assumed that classes were still in. It felt like days since the potions lesson this morning, but must have been less than 2 hours. It would be lunch soon.

Harry packed his trunk dejectedly. Once done, he looked around his room feeling nothing but sadness. Dumbledore may have tricked him into feeling like Hogwarts was his home, but it did not change the fact that it had become just that. His friends had become his family, and Harry choked on the idea that he may not see Ron and Hermione for a long time. If at all. Hermione at least was a Muggleborn. The Dark Lord's prime target.

Harry vowed to himself that he would do everything in his power to protect his two best friends.

He shrunk his trunk before casting a featherweight charm on it and putting it in his robe pocket. He walked down to the common room to see Snape already waiting for him. He looked at Harry with what could only be described as concern, but did not say anything, instead motioning for Harry to follow him. When they walked past the great hall, Harry stopped and looked in. He spotted Ron and Hermione immediately. Both looked worried, and were eating silently. Ginny, Harry noticed, kept throwing them looks.

"This isn't good bye Harry. You will see them again." Harry looked up to Snape, eyes wide and having been figured out. He then nodded and followed Snape out to the edge of the Apparition wards.

They Apparated to what Harry instantly thought was a castle. At closer inspection Harry realised it was just a very big house. A large grey building with castle-like windows showing the building had 4 floors. Harry counted the windows along the top – 10 windows. That made a lot of bedrooms. The castle was dark, giving it an evil appearance, but the gardens were beautiful and Harry could imagine spending a lot of time outside in them. Large expanses of green surrounded a waterfall that was situated directly in front of what looked to be the front door, if it could be described as such. It was a door twice as tall as any person, and just as wide, with an imposing dark finish that would be intimidating for any mere mortal.

Including Harry.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor." Snape sneered out the welcome, disgust and a little regret in his tone.

Harry looked to his father, eyes wide. "This is the Malfoy home? This is where Draco Malfoy grew up?" Harry thought of the tiny cupboard he had grown up in.

"Yes, this is but one of the Malfoy homes, but it is where the Malfoy's currently reside. It is where you should have grown up, Harry. You are an heir as well."

His tiny cupboard flashed into his mind again and Harry suddenly felt sick. Very sick. He must have looked it too, because a potion was suddenly thrust into his hand. "Drink."

Harry did not hesitate. The potion was thrown back – tasted like strawberries, Harry noticed with slight amusement – and instantly felt better. "Thank you."

"Harry, while I am sure the Dark Lord will not try to hurt you, it would be unwise to annoy him. Please try to hold your tongue." Snape looked at Harry with a knowing look, and Harry realised that was probably good advice. Voldemort did not have to help them, he realised.

As they walked up the path leading to the Manor house, Harry looked around at the garden. He spotted many different types of flowers and plants, all different colours but not too much as to be tawdry. There was a lot of grass - deep rich green that Harry had never seen in such large quantities. Obviously the Malfoy's liked to keep their lawns nice.

Beside him, Snape hissed under his breath, causing Harry to look up at him. Snape was looking straight ahead and Harry followed his line of sight to see one Lucius Malfoy staring down his nose at them.

His father.

Harry suddenly wondered why Snape seemed to dislike him so much. Every time his name was mentioned, the professor sneered and he had hinted many times that they were no longer together. Harry knew Lucius was married to Narcissa Malfoy, but Harry also knew that Veela had mates and Harry knew that Lucius and Snape were mates. That usually meant an unbreakable relationship since Veela needed their mates to survive.

The thought scared Harry, who found himself determined to find out two things – what happened between his two fathers, and more about Veela since apparently the information they learned in class was not all true.

As they approached, Harry noticed the look of disgust on Lucius' face was growing, but he wasn't just looking at Harry. Snape was receiving equal amounts of hostility.

"Snape, Potter. Finally decided to join the Dark Lord then, Potter. Or were you forced here against your will." Lucius glared at Snape casing Harry to glare at Lucius.

"We are here to speak to the Dark Lord about a private matter that does not concern you, Lucius." Harry snorted before he could stop himself, and then shuffled his feet a little when Snape turned to glare at him. It held none of his previous dislike, however, so Harry wasn't worried.

Lucius merely glared at them both and turned to lead the way.

Harry looked around the Manor while he was led to Voldemort. The halls were cold and unforgiving, with grey stone walls and portraits dotted around. These portraits were all Malfoys, Harry could tell. They all looked the same, and glared at him and Snape as they travelled. There was nothing homely about this place, but Harry could not bring himself to feel glad he did not grow up here.

Anything was better than a box under the stairs, right?

They walked through a set of double doors into a large room with a throne. Harry didn't really see anything other than the man sat on it. Voldemort. Face blank, red eyes staring intently at Harry. Harry noticed that the man's skin was no longer white, but human coloured. His face still resembled a reptile though, making Harry shiver. He would not show fear in front of Voldemort, however.

"Severus, you've brought me a gift."

Snape kneeled before the man. "My Lord, I request permission to speak to you in private."

Harry looked at Lucius, who sneered at Snape's back. Voldemort nodded. "Leave, Lucius." Harry watched the man walk out of the door and close it behind him. A ward seemed to rise over the door when it closed.

"Severus, you should get to the point. I was about to call a meeting." Snape stood and walked closer to Voldemort's throne.

Harry listened to Snape's version of the story with rapt attention, anger rising in him again. Harry could hear the rage present in Snape's voice as well. He watched Voldemort's expression and saw he looked furious at Dumbledore's actions. This made Harry feel better, if only slightly.

"Very well. And the reason you asked Lucius to leave? He is your mate, is he not?"

Snape hesitated. Harry wondered if he would finally find out the truth. "We have not been on speaking terms since before Draco was born."

"Yes, I had noticed. Regardless, he will need to be told Severus. He will be needed to reverse the affects of the potion on his son."

Harry watched as Snape flinched. He felt pity for the man who obviously wanted nothing to do with his mate.

"Hally!" Voldemort snapped. A house elf appeared immediately, asking what it could do for it's 'Dark Master'. "Bring Lucius back here."

Once the house elf was gone, Harry looked towards his father noting his appearance. He was looking pale and worried, which concerned Harry. Part of him was looking forward to the confrontation, however. Not only would he find out something more about what happened between the Veela, but he could also throw in Lucius' face that he had tried to kill his son at least twice. Not that he would actually say that to the man, but he knew Lucius would be thinking it.

Harry turned to the doors to see Lucius enter looking smug. Harry was looking forward to that look being knocked off his face. He was an infuriating man, just like his son. Apparently Draco and Lucius had the same ability to piss Harry off no matter what.

Snape was not looking at him, though. Snape was looking anywhere but at the people in the room.

After the door was closed and Lucius had joined the two, Voldemort spoke. "Lucius. Harry is yours and Severus' son. It would seem Dumbledore is an even bigger fool than first thought. He switched two babies at birth to give the light an advantage."

Lucius turned to look at Snape, who was still looking at anything but the people in the room. He sneered at the potions professor looking completely unbothered by the revelation, asking accusingly. "How do you know he is mine, my Lord?"

Harry's mouth dropped, and Snape stiffened. He turned to look at Lucius with a deathly glare, "Excuse me?" he hissed, tone poisonous.

"How many other people were you screwing around that time, Snape? It could be anyone's child."

"Harry is not an 'It', he is your son and you will treat him as such!" Lucius merely sneered, glaring at Harry. "I was never unfaithful, Lucius."

"Do not lie, Snape. This is not mere hearsay. I saw you with another man." A betrayed looked passed through Lucius' eyes before the disgust replaced it. Snape merely looked confused. Harry couldn't explain why - perhaps it was his knowledge of Veela relationships – but he knew Snape had never done what Lucius was accusing him of. It suddenly became clear why the two had not spoken in 16 years, however. Harry wondered why this had never been spoken of, why Snape had never been given a chance to explain himself.

"You will show us Lucius." Harry turned wide-eyed to Voldemort, before his gaze turned to his father, who looked horrified.

Malfoy walked towards Voldemort, who had conjured what looked like a Pensieve. Lucius placed his wand to his temple and a memory was pulled from his mind.

"Must we do this in front of Harry, My Lord?" Snape was stood stiffly; looking unsure about what he was about to see. Harry was wondering the same thing – he had no desire to see his father intimate with anyone.

"Thought you had nothing to worry about, Severus? You were never unfaithful, remember." The tone was condescending, and Harry's hand tightened into a fist. He wanted to knock that smug smirk from the blonde's face, but instead just glared fiercely.

Voldemort cast a spell on the Pensieve, causing a memory to play like a hologram in the air. Harry was impressed, although a little sickened at the thought they would all see what Lucius had seen.

Harry watched as Lucius walked through a hallway and then turned to a door with the number 2 on it. It looked like the Leaky Cauldron. Lucius whispered a word that Harry assumed was a password. The door swung open. "Mate?" he called to the empty room. A noise was heard from the adjoining room, causing Lucius to follow the sound. The door was opened, and inside was a bed.

Harry immediately looked away. Being the curious type, it didn't last long and his gaze was immediately back on the two in the bed. Harry watched the movements – it was obvious from behind what they were doing. The man on top leaned down, Harry assumed to kiss the man below. The body below writhed on the bed, before his head fell to the side.

It was Snape. He had his eyes closed and was obviously very naked. Harry did not recognise the man on top, but he had Snape's arms above his head. Harry's gaze went back to Snape's face and he was horrified to see tears running down the man's cheeks. It wasn't long, seconds perhaps, before a choked sob was heard and Lucius ran from the room. Harry saw Lucius look away and fold his arms over his chest. The man could pretend he didn't care, but 16 years later he was still affected by the vision.

Harry's attention went to Snape when the man screamed and bent over. The scream was full of fear and pain, before he collapsed to his knees. Harry rushed over to him to stop his from falling flat on his face. He knelt down in front of the man and held him up. Snape was breathing heavily and erratically, and Harry could feel the man shaking.

Harry knew what he'd seen. He wondered how Lucius had allowed himself to be tricked so easily.

"You are an idiot, Malfoy." Harry snarled, glaring at the man. Lucius looked uncomfortable under his gaze, but met it head on standing up straight.

"Just proving a point, Potter."

"Yes; that you jump to conclusions. I've always been told that Malfoy's were smart." Harry felt a hand cover his own and heard Snape mutter a soft, "Harry, stop. Please."

But Harry couldn't ignore the fact that Lucius was part of the reason everything went wrong. "Did you not notice that he was crying? Did you not notice that he wasn't even _conscious_ during that memory?" He yelled, unable to hold back his anger and frustration.

"What happened, Severus?" Voldemort actually sounded nice for once.

Snape merely shook his head, looking at the floor. Harry hadn't seen him so pale – he looked grey.

"Severus, stand." Harry helped the man to his feet. He was still shaking, but he seemed to be ok on his feet. "Legilimens!"

Harry shouted, "No!" before he really knew what he was saying. Voldemort ignored him of course. Snape allowed Voldemort to shuffle through his memories; Harry knew that Snape could throw the man off if he really wanted to.

Harry stood back and watched. He realised he was breathing heavily and that he should probably calm himself down before he ended up having a panic attack. It wouldn't be the first – he'd ended up having one during the summer. Luckily, Molly Weasley was there to tell him what was happening, and inform him he wasn't dying.

When Voldemort dropped his wand, Harry looked to make sure Snape was OK. His complexion was the same – he was sickly pale grey and had his eyes closed. Harry touched his arm, ignoring the flinch that ran through his entire body. He must have known it was Harry because he allowed the touch. Harry noticed Snape was shaking even more violently than before. Harry wanted to calm the man somehow, but didn't know what to do or if he would even be accepted.

"My Lord, what did you see?" Lucius seemed unsure now, as though he was suddenly questioning what had happened and whether or not he made a monumental mistake. At least, that's what Harry hoped he felt.

"He was raped. Quite violently, it would seem. _You_ of all people should know how painful it is for a Veela to be with someone other than their mate. He was forced, which made it all the more painful. The rapist had leant down to kiss him, which sent Severus over his pain threshold and caused him to faint. That is why he had his eyes closed. When it was over, Severus tried to escape but Dumbledore came in and obliviated him to stop him from explaining himself to you. If he had no memory of the act, he'd have no idea what to protect himself from." Voldemort seemed to growl, and Harry understood the man was furious with Dumbledore for allowing someone to rape one of this most loyal followers. "Seeing the memory you produced broke the spell Dumbledore cast. Quite impressive really, part of his Veela powers no doubt."

Apart from his anger towards Dumbledore, Voldemort told this story as though he was explaining the weather. Harry felt disgust towards the man. He should have been feeling something other than boredom at the situation. Harry figured the man really was a sadistic bastard.

Dumbledore had done this. He had done this to cause Lucius and Snape to separate. Together they were stronger than apart. Harry supposed this was one of the reasons Snape turned spy. He had no reason not to. Regardless, if Malfoy had not fallen for it, he would have been at Harry's birth.

Harry turned to Lucius to see the man looked horrified. His mouth was opening and closing as though he wanted to say something but knowing words would never be enough. Harry glared at the man, snarling, "Don't you _dare_ try and apologise!"

Everyone looked at Harry then, but Harry had eyes for only Lucius. "This is all your fault. You should have known! A Veela cannot betray his mate! If you had just talked to him about it, you would have known that nothing happened. Then you would have been there. You should have been there! If you had been there, you could have protected me. That is your job, _you_ should have protected me!"

Harry felt himself hyperventilating again. "I need air; I'm going to be sick." Harry knew he was being dramatic, but walked towards the door anyway. He tugged on the handle but the door did not budge.

Frustration caught up with him. All of the anger, pain, and betrayal resurfaced. He pounded on the door with his arms and hands, probably creating large bruises but not caring. "Let me out!" He screamed. His head fell to the door, his arms in the position they had been when he had last hit the door, and his strength left him. He leant heavily on the door, and whispered, "Please let me out!"

"Potter, get back here. We still have a potion to reverse!" Voldemort snapped, but his tone lacked the normal hate Harry was accustomed to. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Harry automatically turned and fell into the arms of his father. The man was still shaking, so Harry wrapped arms around the man's waist, attempting to comfort him. They stood there for seconds before Voldemort cleared his throat.

"I am not a patient man, as you well know. This potion will be reversed now, and then I will call the inner circle. Dumbledore must be dealt with."

"My Lord, Draco. He will vulnerable at the school. Dumbledore could easily use him against us to get Potter back." Harry felt alarmed. Not because of Draco, but because Ron and Hermione would be much larger targets.

"This is true, Lucius. I will have someone collect Draco from school and have him brought home." Lucius seemed to sag with relief a little. This surprised Harry, the man had always seemed very uncaring and Harry had always wondered if the man cared anything for his son.

"What about Ron and Hermione? They are much bigger targets; he knows I would do anything to protect them." Harry ignored the pleading in his tone.

Voldemort hissed. "I will not protect a Mudblood and blood traitor, Potter."

Harry had to think quickly. "You know the prophecy. You will be unbeatable with me on your side. If my friends are harmed, I will not stop until you are destroyed." Harry glared at the man, uncaring of the fact he was acting suicidal at the moment. Snape didn't seem of the same mind because he had grabbed onto Harry and was holding him tightly as if preparing to bolt. "I have no doubt that my father would do anything to protect me, as well. Being Veela and all."

Voldemort raised an eyebrow, but seemed more amused that pissed. "Very well, they will be brought here too."

Harry hadn't expected that, and felt unsure as to how happy the two would be when they found out. But he would rather they were protected.

Harry nodded, relaxing into his father's arms again. "Thank you."

Harry watched as Voldemort called a House elf and asked it to collect the three students from the school, with their trunks packed.

Harry stiffened when Snape leaned down and whispered into his ear, "Do not scare me like that again Harry."

Harry felt a little guilty, knowing what the man had been through today. "I'm sorry. They are the most important people in the world to me. I cannot lose them. But I will hold my tongue in the future."

Snape tightened his hold on Harry, "That is all I can ask from you, I suppose."

Harry smiled as he turned back to Voldemort, preparing himself to become a Veela.


	4. Ritual

**The One With The Ritual**

"How do we reverse the potion, My Lord?" Harry turned to see a paler than normal Lucius Malfoy looking up at Voldemort. He hoped the man was feeling guilty.

"There are two ways. A potion that uses blood magic, or a ritual that will be painful for all in the room. The potion is one that will take about a week to brew." Harry felt Snape stiffen at that. Not acceptable. "The ritual will be physically and magically draining for you three. It will require 3 more bodies – 1 to balance each of your magic. I will warn you, though. It will be extremely painful for Harry as it will force his Veela out, unlike the potion which simply reverses the suppression. Harry will act like a young Veela for a while, needing both of you around to ground him."

"I don't care how painful it is. We do the ritual." Harry stated, causing Snape's arm to tighten around him again.

Voldemort stared intently at Harry. "Of course. We will use Draco and your two little friends to balance the magic."

Harry noticed Lucius shift. "Are you sure that's a good idea, My Lord. A Mudblood performing Dark Magic?"

Harry saw red. "Don't you dare call her that! She is the smartest witch in the school. She's the reason I am still alive. You throw anything at her, she can handle it."

Malfoy looked at Snape, who nodded reluctantly. Malfoy looked resigned.

Voldemort interrupted. "We will wait until they arrive. Hally should know not to take too long."

Harry nodded, and looked around the room. He felt exhausted and needed to sit down. The room was empty of anything other than the throne however. Harry sighed, resigned to standing for a long period.

"When Voldemort said I'd act like a young Veela, what did he mean?" Harry asked Snape, but knew Lucius and Voldemort had heard. Snape flinched at the Dark Lord's name, answering with a sharp, "Do not say his name."

Harry just stared at the man. He knew how Harry felt about this. "You are far too stubborn. It's going to get you killed."

Behind him, Malfoy scoff and muttered, "Like someone else I know."

Harry smirked at Snape, knowing he'd heard his mate's comment. "Guess it's genetic. Genetic stubbornness."

Lucius and Voldemort actually chuckled. Lightly, but chuckled none-the-less. Snape glared at him, but his mouth curved a little as if to smile. Harry stared at the man, waiting for an answer. When none came, Harry reminded him. "Young Veela?"

Lucius moved closer to them, choosing to answer the question. Made sense since he had a young Veela at one point. "We cannot predict any of your behaviour Harry. There are no recorded cases of Dark/Light Veela parings. Additionally, I'm sure this has never happened before. However, Draco was very clingy when he was younger. He needed almost constant touching and affection for the first couple months of his life. As he grew, and even to the day, he still needed that attention but would usually come to me when necessary instead of the attention being constant. I expect you'll require the same constant attention for at least a couple days, and then whenever you feel upset or vulnerable in the future. As you are a Dark and Light Veela, you'll probably require this from both of us." Lucius looked at Snape then, looking a bit guilty.

"I cannot say what affect this will have on Draco. His Veela will be aware another Veela of his blood has been 'born'. He may be clingy at first." He snorted at that, unable to picture Draco Malfoy willingly anywhere near Harry.

There was a crack of apparition and Harry turned to see Draco looked annoyed, and Ron and Hermione stood looking quite terrified. Hermione looked slightly relieved when she saw him, but then looked behind him to Snape and gasped. She raised a hand over her mouth, and then lowered it to ask, "It's true?"

While Harry nodded, Draco scoffed stating, "Of course it's true, Granger. You cannot trick that potion." Harry watched Draco look around the room before his eyes settled on Lucius. "Father, are you OK." He walked over, and Harry watched wide eyed as Draco rubbed his cheek against Lucius' like a cat.

"You should get used to acts of affection like that, Harry. It is the Veela in him that commands his actions right now. Veela children and parents share feelings. Once your Veela is freed, you will be able to sense my emotions and I yours. Lucius is obviously feeling distressed." Snape said this to Harry but the whole room heard as Hermione and Ron gasped before Ron asked, "You're a Veela?"

Harry went into the story of what had happened so far. Hermione looked fascinated when he mentioned there was not much information on Dark Veela. Both Ron and Hermione looked furious when he explained Dumbledore's part in this. He did not explain why the two Veela had separated, but he did explain the affects this ritual would have.

"As fascinated as this little reunion is..!" Harry looked over to Voldemort at the same time Ron and Hermione gasped. He looked rather angry, and Harry remembered the man was trying to call a Death Eater meeting when they arrived. Harry looked over to Hermione and Ron who suddenly looked terrified.

"Harry, stand in the middle of the room. Lucius and Severus, hold hands with Harry stood in the middle of you." They looked at each other, before moving to Harry. Snape held out his hands and Lucius grasped them, left hand taking right, and vice versa. Harry heard them both gasp, and was surprised to see some colour return to Snape's cheeks, whom he was facing. Harry wondered about that.

Voldemort pointed to the three students. "You three, make a circle around them." They all grimaced, but moved and immediately grasped each other's hands. "Whatever you do, do not let go."

Voldemort started chanting in some strange language Harry didn't recognise. A wind blew around them and Harry felt magic being drawn into him. The feeling was heady, and caused him to close his eyes. The magical high soon turned into pain worse than the Cruciatus and Harry felt every one of his senses increase. The wind whistled louder through his hear, the clothes on his skin irritated him. Harry smelt potions on Snape and some kind of aftershave on Lucius that he had not noticed before. The pain increased; something inside him was clawing for release. Harry felt fear as the pain came to an all-time high and he felt himself give way to unconsciousness.

He woke up almost immediately, slumped into his father's arms. The wind had stopped, as had the chanting. Harry felt terrified and confused. He looked around him. He was on the floor, with his two fathers holding into him. He could feel them now. They both felt fear and surprise. Underneath Harry sensed they were both hurting. Harry looked further and saw 4 people stood around them. The one with red eyes made him frown; he had a black aura with a yellow tinge. Safe. Dark but safe. Then there was a boy and girl he recognised, both with pure yellow auras. Safe, again. The last was a blonde who Harry sensed was blood. He reached out to him, and the boy did not hesitate to come over and grasp Harry's hand.

He was surrounded by people who were trying to protect him, but he still felt terrified. Harry couldn't figure out why until the door opened and a man with a white mask came in. His aura was black but with a red lining and Harry heard himself whimper as he curled into his family.

Harry saw the man with red eyes speak and saw a red light come from his wand. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying. Harry could hear a snake slithering around the room, which made him search the room, but he could not hear the man talking. The snake was moving towards the big chair, Harry noticed.

There was a chair next to them now. He was pulled up, and in doing this one of his fathers let him go. Harry cried out and grabbed onto him. They sat on the sofa with one father on each side and the boy kneeled down in front of him on the floor. He was talking to Harry. Harry didn't know what he was saying so he looked away and curled into the father on his right. The one who had not let him go. The father that was his mother. This made him frown.

Before he realised what was happening, he was asleep.

Harry was shaken awake by Snape. He was sat on the couch in between Snape and Lucius, and Draco was on the floor still holding onto one of his hands. He looked up to make sure Ron and Hermione were OK and was relieved to see they were sat in their own chairs looking at him with worry but kindness. All of the auras around them had gone, which made Harry glad. He wondered who had come in to the room and caused him such fear, but no one else was in the room.

Voldemort, who was sat on his throne, asked, "Are you feeling a little more human now Harry?" Harry frowned, and nodded. What did the man expect? "Good. I am calling a Death Eater meeting. You are your friends will remain." Harry looked over to Ron and Hermione who grinned at him and nodded.

"You need to stand now Harry." Harry looked to Snape, who was looking down at him with a gentleness Harry had only ever seen on Molly Weasley. Was that love?

Draco let go of his hand and Harry immediately started to panic. He looked up at the boy, reaching out a hand to get him back. Draco took his hand and pulled him up. This caused Harry to panic again as he was pulled away from Snape. The man still had a hand on his back; the fear caused by his body being further away. Harry still had hold of Lucius' wrist. Snape stood quickly and put his arm back around Harry, and Lucius followed. Harry stood with his back to Snape, but the man's arm around him. He had hold of Draco's hand and Lucius' wrist. Harry supposed the needed extra contact with Snape was because he was the birth parent.

Harry hoped this sense of panic went away quickly. It was annoying him already. Draco merely took a step back and Harry's breathing became slightly erratic.

Voldemort called, "Lucius, come here."

Harry had gripped his father's wrist tighter before he even realised. Lucius turned to him and ran a hand through his hair, which instantly calmed him down. Voldemort growled, frustrated. Harry watched the man get up and come over to them instead. Lucius lifted is left hand for Voldemort, allowing the man to use his wand to call the Death Eaters. Harry was glad to feel no fear of the man. His Veela knew the man would not hurt him because of the yellow aura.

Voldemort went and sat back down while Ron asked, "How long do you think Harry will be like this?"

Lucius answered again. "His condition improved drastically after a short amount of sleep. I suspect he will allow Draco to move away in a couple of hours, and he will allow us to at least let go for a time after a full night's sleep. He should be talking again tomorrow, as well. He will be clingy for a while, however. You saw how Draco acted when you apparated in – that is normal for Veela children who are unmated."

Hermione and Ron nodded. Hermione questioned, "Are you going to remove the adoption spell?" Harry realised he still looked like James Potter. The thought made him feel sick. He also had the name the Potter's had picked out for him. Harry looked up at Snape, pleading.

Snape seemed to know what he was thinking. "You want to reverse the adoption spell." Harry nodded. "Soon?" Harry nodded again. "Good." He smiled and Harry nodded again. "The potion will take a couple of hours to brew. We can do it tonight if you feel you can stand for that long?" Harry nodded again. He needed all traces of the Potters off him. Harry pointed to his eyes. "Your eyes were charmed green. That will be easy to remove." His father waved his wand over his eyes. A slight tingling and then Snape smiled at him. A true and genuine smile. Harry frowned, however. Everything was blurry. He raised his hand to his eyes and realised his glasses were on his face. He took them off and looked around – his vision was perfect.

"Harry?" He turned to look at Lucius. The man smiled as well. "You have your father's eyes." Lucius suddenly felt a longing, which Harry assumed was for Snape. Harry raised a hand to the man's face, placing it on his cheek and then ran it down the side of his head and hair. The man closed his eyes and then leaned forward to lean his forehead on Harry's. Harry could feel he had calmed the man and smiled at the thought that a simple touch could do such a thing.

Harry had grabbed hold of Lucius' wrist again, he realised.

People started filing in the room then, and Harry tensed. None of them had masks on so Harry assumed this was the inner circle. They all looked surprised or happy to see Harry, Ron and Hermione. Harry wondered if they thought the trio were there to die.

Hermione folded her arms over her chest, and stood tall. This made Harry smile. She would not be intimidated by these people and she could protect herself if necessary.

There was loud chattering and whispering from all in the room. They were all staring at the trio. Harry realised that the looks thrown at him were now confused, once they realised Snape, Lucius and Draco were all protecting him.

"Silence!" Voldemort hissed. His voice was not loud but had the entire room freezing in fear. "Welcome, my most loyal. I'm sure you are all wondering why we have 4 students with us today. That will be explained. First, I will hear reports. Rabastan!"

Harry blanked out, ignoring what they had to say. He didn't care about the war at the moment. Hermione looked as though she was mentally taking notes, which Harry smiled at. Ron looked as bored as him. They made eye contact, and Ron rolled his eyes. He mouthed to Harry, 'You OK?' and Harry smiled and nodded. He really was OK.

Harry was brought back to reality when Voldemort turned to him. "As for the trio, it would seem our most esteemed Albus Dumbledore has done something incredibly stupid." The Death Eaters laughed. Harry glared. This was not funny. "I'm sure you all remember Lucius and Severus are Veela, and were mates?" They all nodded, surprising Harry.

"They produced a child, which Dumbledore swapped with the Potter's stillborn child, stealing him from his mother. Or father in this case." Voldemort frowned, looking at Snape. "Hence the child grew up as a Potter. The truth was revealed today due to a potion Severus was teaching. Severus, being a submissive Veela, was unable to kill Dumbledore. Therefore, we have some revenge to partake in. That man will die at the hands of me, Lucius or Draco for this crime and another that will remain unmentioned. I want plans put in place to take Hogwarts."

Voldemort starting doling out jobs to his faithful followers but Harry's mind drifted again. Harry wondered at the submissive Veela comment, pretty sure the reason Snape had not killed Dumbledore was because Harry had asked him not to.

He felt pain and fear from his father, and his Veela's need to calm him. He turned in the man's arms and lifted a hand to his face in the same way he had with Lucius. Snape immediately leaned down to rub his cheek against Harry's. They stayed like that until the fear abated, and Harry realised he had let go of both Draco and Lucius. He stayed facing Snape, right hand shooting out to grab Lucius. He felt a hand on the back of his neck, stroking his hair. Harry felt the panic stopping at the calming gesture.

He felt like crying; this was horrible. Not only could he not let go of his family, but when he tried he went into panic mode. He felt like a hormonal girl at the frustration which made him want to cry. He could not wait until this was over.

He felt Snape and Lucius chuckle at his emotions and raised his head to glare at both of them.

"One last thing - if anyone dares to touch, harm, intimidate or anyway hurt these three Gryffindors, I will not need to raise my wand because you will be dead by the hands of Lucius and Severus before you can say 'no'. Let that be a warning to you all; I will not stand in front of either of them. The trio are not to be touched."

Harry was glad. He didn't want to have to fight any Death Eaters, or put up with Lucius or Severus going all parental on him.

That thought made him smile. Perhaps he was looking forward to that, actually.


	5. Harry

A/N Yo, folks. Please bear with me on this one. It's a bit of a filler, and contains annoyingly clingy Harry. Had to be done though.

**The One Where Harry Isn't Harry Anymore**

Once all of the Death Eaters had gone, Harry felt at least a little easier. He took hold of Snape's hand and took a small step away from him. They had a potion to brew, and there was no way Snape could do that with an armful of Harry. The panic started again and Harry took a step back towards him, but would not let his father put his arm around him. The panic lessened, slightly.

Harry wondered if Snape could make a potion one handed.

Snape looked down at his son, feeling the panic the boy was still feeling. Someone else would have to make the potion. Luckily, Draco and Hermione were the best students in the school already, and they were only sixth years.

Not that he'd ever tell them that.

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, will you be able to make this potion for Harry under my instruction?"

Harry felt relief wash through him. That was a good idea. Hermione could make anything.

"Professor, I made the Polyjuice potion in my second year." Hermione looked at Harry and grinned. Draco was looking at Hermione with his mouth on the floor, and Harry could feel the surprise in Lucius.

Annoyance clouded Snape. "Indeed. Mr. Malfoy?"

"Of course, sir."

Draco moved towards the door, followed closely by Hermione and Ron. Snape and Lucius looked to Voldemort, who nodded and said, "You may leave."

They walked around a maze or corridors to the potions lab, Harry now allowing Snape to put his arm back around Harry. They walked side-by-side, with Harry now holding Lucius' hand instead of his wrist. Harry kept a close eye on Draco, not wanting him to move too far away.

Draco and Hermione set up a cauldron as Snape conjured a bench so he, Harry and Lucius could sit up and watch.

Harry listened to Snape directing Draco and Hermione as he watched them cutting ingredients and adding them to the pan. When the potion was done, Snape took the vial of potion from Hermione and checked the consistency and colour. He nodded at the two behind the cauldron, "Well done." They looked at each other and smiled before realising what they were doing and turning away. Harry laughed at them.

"Please pass me a clean knife." Hermione passed a knife to Snape, who pricked his finger and let a drop fall into the vial. Harry frowned in disgust – he was going to have to drink a potion with blood in it?

The knife was cleaned and passed to Lucius, who allowed a drop of blood to fall into the potion as well. Harry watched as it turned purple. Snape stared at it for a little longer before passing it to Harry. "Are you sure about this?" Harry knew Snape was asking because he wanted Harry to have no regrets. Snape needed him to do this. Harry looked around the room and spotted a mirror. He went to stand in front of it and looked at himself with the untameable hair that was signature James. The nose and mouth and even the shape of his eyes. He was a perfect replica of a man who kidnapped a baby. He looked at himself and felt nothing but revulsion.

He looked at the potion in his hand and after a moment's hesitation he swallowed it in one gulp.

Harry turned back to the mirror. The affects were instant. His face lengthened, his features becoming more pointed. Classic Malfoy. His hair lightened until it was the same blonde as the two Veela. His eyes were already back to normal – black just like Snape. He had Snape's mouth, he thought, but other than that he was the spitting image of Draco with black eyes.

Draco came to stand next to him in front of the mirror. Draco's hair was slicked back as normal, but Harry was surprised to see how much they looked like each other. Apparently they had received most of their looks from Lucius. They could have passed as twins.

Draco smiled and put an arm around his shoulder. "I've always wanted a brother." Harry laughed at him. He stared at himself for a little longer, feeling content. Then he realised he had walked away from both fathers. The thought made him happy – he was improving at least – but the panic was overwhelming and he quickly moved back to Snape who had felt the panic set in. He didn't bother sitting next to Snape, instead hugging the man head on. He could feel himself shaking. Lucius passed a hand through Harry's hair, but Harry grabbed it instead and just held it close to his chest. Another hand went into his hair and Harry instantly knew that it was Draco.

Harry felt all of the stress of the day on him at once and felt himself regress again. He felt safe, but the pain and betrayal was overwhelming. A new feeling of regret was creeping in – regret at never having had these two men as his fathers, and Draco as a brother. Longing for them to be a family. He cried into his father's shoulder for what felt like ages before he exhausted himself so completely that he fell asleep in Snape's arms, technically still stood up.

* * *

><p>Comfy. That was the only way to describe Harry's current location. As he awoke, Harry realised this was the most comfortable place in the world. The next thing he realised was that his pillow was moving.<p>

He smelt potions. Snape. He was lying on his father!

He heard voices around him – they must have woken him. After a few moments of clearing the fog from his mind, he could make out the voices of Snape and Malfoy. They seemed to be talking civilly, which surprised Harry and little. He was sure Snape would be angry with Lucius for a long time to come.

They were discussing housing, it would seem. "You can stay in the South Wing. It is currently unoccupied. There are several bedrooms so Granger and Weasley can stay there too."

"Thank you. I appreciate your hospitality." Severus' reply was stiff.

"Severus, must we be so formal? Listen, about what happened –"

"I do not wish to talk about this Lucius. Not now and not ever." Harry felt the bond between himself and his two fathers come to life then. Harry wondered if that was because he had just woken, or if it was because of the strong emotions. Both fathers were longing after the other, and Harry was surprised to feel glad that they still wanted each other even if it would take Snape a little while to get used to the idea.

"We need to talk about it eventually."

"No we do not." There was silence for a long time. Harry almost fell back to sleep, but he could feel Lucius was about to ask something that was bothering him.

"Why could I not feel your fear?"

Harry felt a hand on his head start to move, brushing gently through his hair. Snape was trying to calm himself. Harry's Veela was desperate to move and soothe this father, but he wanted this conversation to finish. His fathers had to work this out.

"What are you talking about?" He knew. Harry could feel it.

"When I walked into the room, why couldn't I feel your fear? Or your pain?" Harry could feel his pain. He could feel both of their pain.

He wondered if he'd be able to handle these emotions full time.

"What are you saying, Lucius? That I enjoyed it?" Harry tried not to flinch at the anger his father felt. He must have succeeded because the conversation carried on.

"Severus, I know that words are not enough to say how sorry I am. You must understand how I felt when I saw you. I didn't feel your fear or pain. I should have felt it. Maybe you were drugged?"

"You really think it's possible to drug me, of all people? This conversation is redundant, Lucius. We will never know the answer." There was a finality to Snape's voice.

The silence dragged on again for a long time before Lucius said, "I never stopped loving you, Severus. Even after..."

Harry couldn't sit still after that comment. He sat up and hugged Snape tight to him, trying to soothe away the hurt he was feeling. Snape was shaking again, but he didn't say a word and just held on to Harry tightly. Harry turned to Lucius, brushing a hand through his hair to soothe him too.

They sat like that for a long time, Harry crying out the tears his two fathers refused to shed.

Eventually the pain lessened, and Harry was able to breathe again. He looked around then, noticing it was dark outside. He realised he must not have been asleep for long. Though the day had been tiring, he found himself unable to stay asleep. It might be because he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, although Harry thought he'd be used to hunger by now.

Maybe it was this Young Veela stage his body was currently in. Harry looked around the room some more and spotted a bathroom. He desperately needed to go to the toilet. He removed himself from the two men in the bed and got up to relieve himself.

The bathroom was huge – probably bigger than the width and depth of the Dursley's entire house. The bath was the same size as the one in the prefect's bathroom, and Harry was hoping he'd have a chance to try it out at some point. There was a window with a view down to the waterfall Harry had seen when they entered Malfoy Manor. It was lit up now, and Harry thought it looked beautiful. He felt a sudden urge to go outside, but decided to wait for now. He had no idea where he was or how to get outside, or if the Malfoy's would appreciate him snooping around their gardens.

There was a knock on the door, which made Harry jump. He didn't realise how intently he had been staring outside. A muffled voice came through the door – "Harry, Dinner is ready." – Lucius.

Harry unlocked the door and looked around the room again. The bed was huge – at least twice the size of a double bed – with four posts and dark green curtains surrounding it. There was ornate furniture dotted around the room and what looked like a walk-in wardrobe. The room was impersonalised – no pictures and no belongings decorated the shelves or walls. Snape was over the other side at what looked like the furthest point from Lucius.

Harry felt guilty for forcing them together because he was unable to let go of them. He seemed to be OK for now, at least, and would try and only need one of them for as long as possible.

Lucius beckoned to him and Harry followed him out of the door. He kept half an eye on the long blond hair as he looked around him. It was much more homely in this part of the manor. There were no portraits of ancestors, just pictures of landscapes dotted around. Harry wanted to stop and look at each of them because everyone he walked past was completely different, with vibrant contrasting colours that he found entirely entrancing.

They turned a corner and walked into what Harry would describe as a large dining room. This was probably one of the smaller rooms that the Malfoy's dined in. It was nothing compared to the giant ballroom Snape had taken him to, to meet Voldemort.

Draco, Hermione, Ron and Draco's mother were sat around the table waiting for them.

"Harry!" Hermione jumped up as soon as she saw him and ran to hug him. Harry hugged her back. "How are you feeling?" Harry shrugged and nodded.

"Still not talking, eh mate?" Ron walked over and patted him on the shoulder. It felt good to be back with his friends; he hadn't realised how much he'd missed them.

They all sat down, Harry in between Ron and Hermione.

No one spoke at all. Harry noticed Snape refused to look at anything or anyone, simply staring at his plate. Lucius was throwing glances at him, face full of regret. Narcissa was glaring at Lucius, and her plate, and then looking over at Harry. When Harry met her eye, she smiled at him. Harry wondered where she stood now. Draco was looked worriedly between his parents, and Harry suddenly felt guilty that he was going to break up the Malfoy family.

He looked at his two best friends. They both looked uncomfortable.

The entire meal passed in silence. Harry cursed his current Veela status.

After dessert, Narcissa got up without a word and walked out of the room. Hermione followed her lead with a hastily asked, "Do you have a library? I'd like to research Veelas."

The two Malfoy's glared at her, causing Harry to glare at them. Eventually, Lucius nodded and stood. They all followed suit, glad for a change of scenery.

Harry walked behind the two Malfoy's, with Ron and Hermione at each side of him. He could feel Snape behind him. Hermione took his hand and squeezed it, whispering, "It will be OK in the end Harry. I promise."

She couldn't make that promise though, and he gave her a look that said just that. Hermione just nodded, smiling.

Too many times people had gotten hurt because he hadn't listened to her.

Harry wondered about Sirius then. Had he known? Harry didn't think he would have had a very good opinion of James Potter if he had known. At least, Harry hoped. Harry still love Sirius, godfather or not. Harry wondered what Sirius would have thought of Harry now, if he were still alive.

Thinking about Sirius brought back the pain he had started to forget over losing him. He would never know how Sirius would feel because the man was not coming back. It was that simple. He would never get his answers.

The library was huge. Of course. Rows and rows of books covered the walls and floor space. There were tables dotted around, as well as two couches and two seats surrounding a large ornate fire place. It was nothing like the main building in here – the furniture was antique, the walls and floor covered with a dark wood. The fireplace was made from white stone with flowers and swirls - hand engraved. It was old, and rather stunning. Harry liked this room.

Harry followed Ron, who followed Hermione, to a desk and sat down. Hermione walked off immediately, looking completely amazed and excited – she looked like the Weasley's at Christmas. Harry smiled knowing she would be OK here if only she stayed in the library the whole time. After being pointed in the right direction by Lucius, she came back pretty quickly with as many books as she could carry.

"Do you have some parchment and a quill please, sir?" Lucius was taken aback by the look on Hermione's face. He turned to Harry with a questioning look in his eyes, and Harry nodded at him. Malfoy summoned a house elf and asked for the requested stationary. Hally reappeared quickly and Hermione got to work.

Harry watched her for a moment before looking over at Ron and smiling. He felt content and at home with his two best friends. The past day had been the very epitome of hell, so a bit of normalcy was very welcome. It wasn't long before Ron got up and grabbed a book to read, which Harry noticed was about Quidditch when he sat back down. Harry looked around and saw Draco had fallen asleep in front of the fire – which was lit in the middle of summer – and Lucius was sat at a desk in the corner writing. Snape was sat at a desk as far from Lucius as possible without moving too far from Harry.

The need for his family was still there. He could feel his Veela was reluctant to be so far from Lucius, and whenever Snape moved Harry looked over at him. But Harry was glad his human feelings were returning too. He knew it was illogical, but Harry couldn't help being angry at both men for the way this had played out. He blamed them, if only slightly. He knew it wasn't really their fault, but why hadn't Snape fought for his mate? And why hadn't Lucius tried speaking to Snape? Harry was very aware that if Lucius had been at his birth, he would never have been kidnapped.

He hated feeling this anger, especially towards Snape who had lived 16 years thinking his son had died and without his mate. He'd also had the memory of his attack unlocked. A lot to take in in one day. Harry realised Snape hadn't spoken in a long time. Since they were in the bedroom. He felt guilty also, but tried to quash it if only to allow himself a chance to overcome his own feelings.

"Ooh, this is fascinating Harry. Listen to this – 'Dark Veela are an all-male species, but not all have the ability to reproduce. Reproduction in Dark Veela is extremely rare and such Veela are coveted.'" Hermione looked over at Snape, smiling. "'As such, Dark Veela with this ability should be cautious, especially around other species such as Indigo and Werewolf as these beings have the ability to sense a possible breeding partner, and will do anything they need to in order to pass down their genes. Lucky then, that Indigo are even rarer than Dark Veela, and I have yet to read a report of a homosexual Werewolf.' I wonder if you are a Dark or Light Veela, Harry." Hermione looked at him worriedly, and Harry gritted his teeth. Yet another target on his head, but Harry felt more fear for his father.

"The book goes on to describe every known Dark Veela pairing known to Wizard. Not one Light Veela in the pack. Oh, no, too much information. OK, next book." Hermione made a face, slammed the book closed and moved it towards Ron. She then picked up another book and started reading.

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Harry looked over at Snape who was watching him with an unreadable expression on his face, but Harry could feel the man's emotions. Gut wrenching fear for Harry and a little for himself too. Harry got up and went to sit on Snape's lap before his Veela went into panic mode. Snape buried his head in Harry's chest and wrapped his arms around Harry's stomach. Harry ran his hands through Snape's hair and looked up, noticing Ron looking at them with worry on his face. Ron could tell something was wrong – this was not a general fear.

Harry wasn't sat there long, just enough to soothe both of their nerves. He got back up and sat at the desk again, noticing Draco was still asleep, but Lucius was paying a little more attention.

Harry relaxed into his chair, prepared for a long evening of research. At least on Hermione's part.

* * *

><p>AN OK peeps, some questions.

1. The natural progression of the story means that Harry will want to take on his birth name. Any ideas for a name Snape and Lucius would have chosen, or maybe just Snape?

2. Draco is a Veela – any ideas for a mate? Male or Female.

This may be a little up and down for a while until Harry's emotions settle down. Sorry about that.

Please review – I'd love to hear what you think and if there's something you like or that you're looking forward too.


	6. Veela Information

_A/N Wow, I forgot how amazing it is to read reviews. Thank you so much. If nothing else, they are entirely inspiring, and even if ideas are not going to be written in, it usually sprouts ideas that will be!_

_I always hated review replies, but I understand why authors do it now. There were a couple questions asked that I wanted to address._

_Moe Fox: I tried to hint at this towards the end of the chapter – he's not. Please don't forget that it had only been about 12 hours since he found out. The acceptance came mostly from shock at first, and then his Veela transformation. Don't know about the Horcrux thing, but it's an interesting concept actually. Please tell me you meant LV/HP and not LM?_

_hyper active pixie: This will be explained._

_Sithtar: Indeed. Don't feel too bad, she will be explained too._

* * *

><p><strong><span>The One With The Veela Information<span>**

They found out a lot about Veela that night. There was a lot more information on light Veela than there was on dark, but Lucius filled in the spaces as well as he could.

Light and Dark Veela were similar in that when they had a mate, it was almost impossible to be with anyone else. Lucius described the pain to be worse than the Cruicatus.

"I don't understand. You're married." Harry asked his father.

"Not willingly, Harry. My father was a man of tradition. A pureblooded wizard must marry a pureblooded witch. Luckily, Cissy was my best friend, so she agreed to be wed. We were together only once, thank Merlin, before she got pregnant. Cissy never wanted to settle down, so she was more than willing to please her parents by marrying me, too."

Hermione looked shocked, "So you haven't been with anyone since?"

"Most definitely not." Harry could tell there was more to this story but that Lucius was unwilling share.

"So how do you know it's painful for a Dark Veela to be with someone else? That is not written anywhere."

Harry glared at his friend and muttered, "Change the subject."

Snape spoke the first words he had since they were in the bedroom. His words were quiet, but to Harry it sounded like he was shouting. "Harry, you can talk to them about this. Your friends are not stupid, they both already know."

Harry snapped his head around to his friends and looked at them intently. Hermione was looking at Harry and Snape in sympathy, and Ron was frowning at the table.

"How?"

Hermione answered first. "I didn't realise anything until you asked me to change the subject, Harry."

Harry sighed and nodded. "I don't want to talk about this. What else does it say, Mione?"

Hermione looked at Harry strangely then, but continued.

Hermione told Harry that the Dark Veela in Snape came from his mother once Snape admitted to being a half-blood. Hermione said that Dark Veela could have female children and that these females would just be witches but carry the Dark Veela gene to any male descendants.

Dark Veela that could not breed did not have mates. Those that can are guaranteed a mate in some humanoid species.

Harry turned his nose up at the word 'humanoid'.

Light Veela however, all had mates. Male Veela did not have the ability to have children, so all Light Veela relationships were heterosexual unless their mate was a male who could breed. Since most Veela relationships were Veela/Human, it was extremely rare to find a homosexual Veela.

Harry was starting to hate the word 'rare'.

Hermione went on to explain that all Veela who had mates and had mated would need their mates to survive.

Harry cut in – "So how have these two survived for 16 years without each other?"

"I was getting to that, Harry. Don't interrupt me. Mr Malfoy most likely survived OK because he had Draco. Veela are extremely protective of their children. The bond between Veela child and parent is extremely strong. You can feel each other's emotions, right?" Harry nodded. "Exactly. The bond is strong and unbreakable, and will allow a parent to survive if their mate dies. Without a child, if one mate dies, the other would follow quickly."

"As for Professor Snape, I do not know. It shouldn't be possible to be away from ones mate for so long, but maybe the Dark Veela makes it different? It does not say in the book?"

Harry looked towards Snape with a querying eyebrow. The man scowled at them all. "Do I look like a Veela, Harry?"

Ron butted in bluntly, "That's a point, I thought Veela were supposed to be beautiful?" Hermione gasped and nudged him. Ron blush a furious red.

"He used to be." They all turned to look at Lucius who was watching Snape with a look of pure devotion in his eyes. Harry smiled. "And he will be again." The meaning was clear to all in the room; Lucius would not give up trying to repair their relationship.

Harry looked forward to watching Lucius attempt to get Snape back.

There was a tense silence until Snape spoke again, looking at Harry. "The truth is, I did not expect to survive the war Harry. Now that our bond has been created, I will be fine but my full strength will not without-" Snape cut himself off, looking towards the blonde across the room.

"So you need him to get better? To make yourself as well as you can be, you need your mate?"

Snape nodded, and Lucius replied, "The bond needs to be renewed, and then he will heal."

Hermione went on to explain the power he would have as a Veela. Light Veela had varying powers – it depended on the Veela. They had the power to control at least one of the elements, usually air. Lucius had this power; it was most common. They also had the ability to manipulate people around them, which Harry thought explained so much.

Dark Veela were extremely adept in mind magics, and had a physical strength beyond any other magical creature, including werewolves and vampires.

All Veela had other magical powers, as well. Lucius could control temperature – make a room or an item or a person hotter or freezing cold. Snape described his power as Telekinesis – the power to move things with one's mind. Harry figured that was how he attempted to strangle Dumbledore.

After Harry yawned for the 5th time, Snape decided to call it a day.

"It's late, we should get to bed. This day has been a long one."

Harry thought back to this morning at breakfast when he was completely ignorant of Dumbledore's betrayal. Part of him wondered if life would have been easier if he had never found out, but he couldn't deny that he had always longed for a family.

"I will show you to your quarters. Follow me."

They did as instructed. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed Malfoy up a set of stairs and around a maze of corridors before coming to a large door. When opened, a large sitting room was revealed with multiple doors off of it. The room was twice as big as the Gryffindor common room. Harry spotted many desks dotted around the edge of the room under large castle-shaped windows with stained glass. There were four large, cream coloured, 3-piece suites in the middle of the room around a coffee table, and a large fluffy rug in front of a fire that was lit but not giving off any heat.

Harry loved it.

"The first room on the right is the largest,-" Lucius didn't even finish this sentence before Ron jumped and ran towards it. Harry laughed at him, glad his friend got the best for once. "The next two do not have bathrooms, but the last one does. The next door is a small kitchenette, then a toilet, then a bathroom. The last door leads directly to the entrance hall."

They nodded, Hermione thanking him. Lucius looked at Harry then and took a step towards him, but Harry took a step back and shook his head, looking at the floor.

Harry felt the man's pain and felt a bit guilty, but his human side quite frankly hated the man. Just because he was his father, didn't change the fact that the man was an evil bastard who had tried to kill Harry and his friends and few months back. Harry knew Lucius would never hurt him now, but that meant little.

"I will leave. Good night." They nodded and watched him depart.

"Professor, Harry and I will have the two rooms without the bathrooms. We can share the main one, that is fine."

Snape nodded and walked towards the room remaining. He opened the door, but before walking through he turned to Harry and said, "I know you are angry, and confused, but you are still a new Veela, Harry. Please do not fight your instincts. Not tonight, at least. I know you do not like me, but please promise me Harry."

Harry looked at the floor and shrugged. Snape sighed and muttered, "Goodnight." Before walking into his room.

Harry looked at Hermione, "Am I being unfair?"

"No Harry. You should not pretend to feel something you do not, and you should not hide how you are feeling. It will just make everything worse in the long run. You must overcome the hatred you feel for both of them and learn to see the good in them. You will soon know the unconditional love of a family, Harry." Hermione said this smiling, and Harry couldn't help but smile back at her.

He turned to walk into the room Ron had disappeared into. He grinned at the boy laying spread eagle on the bed. It was the same as the room Harry had woken up in earlier but the room was decorated cream and burgundy.

Ron smiled when he saw them.

"This is so weird. I can't believe we're staying in Malfoy Manor with Voldemort downstairs. Willingly."

Hermione giggled. "I know, it's rather surreal. I wonder what will happen next. I know Mr Malfoy and Professor Snape will not let anyone hurt us, but where does that leave us?"

Harry shrugged. "Snape said that Voldemort is like a father to him."

Hermione and Ron gaped at him. "Is that snake even capable of feeling any kind of emotion?"

Harry smiled at Ron. "Dunno, but he was pretty tolerant today at least. I don't know if I can stay here for long though. Lucius may be my father but I do not like him, nor will I tolerate his hatred. He tried to kill us, remember. And who knows what happens at Death Eater meetings these days?"

Ron asked, "When did you last have a vision?"

"Sirius."

He nodded. "Where exactly will you go if you do decide to leave? This place is heaven. Kind of."

"I don't know. Hogwarts? Dumbledore won't be able to mess with me now I'm Veela. The thing is, I want to get Snape and Lucius back together so Snape will be healthy again."

"Why do you call Snape, Snape and Lucius, Lucius?" Hermione questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, why is Professor Snape not Severus to you?"

"He's my father. Do you call your father by his given name, Mione?"

"Well no, but you call Lucius by his."

"It's easy to be a father biologically. He has a lot to prove before he becomes anything of a dad to me. Calling him Malfoy would be confusing when there's more than one bloody Malfoy in this place."

Hermione nodded in understanding.

"But you were all over both of them earlier today. Seemed pretty forgiving to me."

Harry sighed, gritting his teeth. "It's the damn Veela! I couldn't control it."

"Yeah, what was with the not talking thing?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Not sure, but my mind would not process that I needed to talk. I physically couldn't."

They sat talking about nothing for a while before they all went to bed. Harry unshrunk his trunk and took out some pyjamas and changed into them. When he finally crashed, he spent minutes staring at the ceiling, mind working a mile a minute. When he finally closed his eyes, he felt an almost uncontrollable need to be near his father.

Harry snapped his eyes open and glared at the ceiling again. This sucked, it really did.

* * *

><p>Please review again, peeps!<p>

Next chapter – heart to heart with mummy dearest.


	7. FatherSon Bonding

_You are my one and only,_

_You can your fingers round my thumb,_

_And hold me tight,_

_And you will be alright._

_You were just a small bump unborn,_

_For four months,_

_Then torn from life._

_Maybe you were needed up there,_

_But we're still unaware,_

_That's why._

_- Ed Sheeran, Small Bump_

**The One With The Father-Son Bonding**

Harry lay in bed, trying to ignore the overwhelming need to be with Snape. He stared at the ceiling trying to distract himself for a few minutes before the horrible sensation of ants crawling along his skin forced him to scramble out of bed and out of his room. He was breathing heavily, arms wrapped around his body to try to comfort himself. It didn't work.

What if Snape didn't want him to come into his bedroom? It was weird enough hugging the man, but to go into his room? Would Snape snap at him to go away?

The professor had told him not to fight his instincts. Did he know this would happen? Should he go with it?

Harry drew in a large breath and gathered his courage. He opened the door and peered in. He saw Snape smack bang in the middle of the bed, but it was too dark to see much of anything else.

He hesitated, then sucked up his Gryffindor courage and walked in the room, closing the door behind him. His eyes adjusted to the lack of light in the room compared to the candle-lit sitting room. He walked forward a step and stared at the bed.

Snape was staring at him. Searching his face, his emotions, trying to figure out where he stood and what he needed, Harry could tell. He knew. Being near Snape was like reading a book. And it wasn't just the emotions – it was like unlocking the Veela bond had unlocked the key to Snape himself.

Snape shuffled himself to the far edge of the bad, and pulled the covers down for Harry. He didn't say anything, just stared. Harry couldn't feel anything strange from him, just the normal buzz of utter heartbreak, pain, fear and betrayal that he was starting to get used to. The only reason Harry was able to manage it was because overlaying all those horrible emotions was an unconditional, unbreakable love for his son that Harry so desperately craved.

Harry looked at the bed. The ants had now been joined by bees – an annoying and persistent buzzing in his ears and Harry practically ran to the bed. He wriggled under the covers and buried his head in Snape's chest. His father had circled two arms around him and the itching and buzzing and oh-so-annoying urge had stopped instantly.

Harry fell asleep in the arms of his father, feeling more safe and content than he had ever felt in his crappy life.

* * *

><p>Harry snuggled into the covers. This bed was so comfortable and soft – he could stay here forever. Harry had never been a good sleeper, but this bed could send anyone into the land of dreams.<p>

He felt the bed move beside him and turned to look at his father. The man was looking at him again. Harry remembered his thought from last night – about how the man was an open book to him.

He was worried that Harry was going to run away from him again.

Well, he still wasn't exactly sure, but Harry felt OK at the moment. And had questions.

"Did you love him?" Snape scoffed, and turned to look at the ceiling. Harry sensed Snape wasn't very good at talking about himself. At all. In the way that he had never shared his feelings in his life and didn't know how to now.

"Being a Veela's mate isn't about love, Harry. It's about not being able to physically live without them."

"You can try and avoid the question, but I will just ask it again. Did you ever love him?"

Snape looked at him. Searched his face with those black tunnel-looking eyes that had stopped being tunnels and were now filled with love and fear.

"I never stopped."

Harry nodded. He had known that, really. At least, he'd known he knew it once he'd been told, but wasn't aware that he'd known it before.

Harry wondered what it was like for Snape, to lose Lucius and to lose his baby and to be forced to live with Dumbledore and be a teacher when he hated children, and have children rubbed in his face.

Harry was being dramatic, he knew, but he was feeling very cynical at the moment.

At least his parents loved each other. That was something a lot of his classmates didn't have.

"What was it like losing Lucius and then losing me?"

"You don't avoid the questions you want answers to, do you?"

Harry just turned onto his side and stared at his father. He watched the man lick his lips and sigh, collecting himself.

"I didn't have a very good childhood, Harry. My father was a cruel man – he hated me because I was magical, but also because he hated everyone. My mother was driven out of herself by him. By the time I went to Hogwarts, she was pretty much suicidal but she couldn't find it in herself to leave my father.

"Going to Hogwarts was just as bad. No one wanted anything to do with me. The Slytherin's merely tolerated me, and a few liked to make my school days hell. Lucius became my friend around 5th year. He was my only friend, and with him came Cissy. We were inseparable after that. We had a connection that neither of us could explain until we turned 17. It took a while to realise we were mates, but when we did we mated immediately.

"We were happy together for a year before I became pregnant." Snape took a deep breath. "Growing up as I did, without love or affection and without friends for most of my school years, I was just waiting for something bad to happen. When Lucius rejected me, I thought that he was rejecting me because I wasn't good enough for him."

Snape laughed coldly. "It hurt like hell. Worse than any pain I had ever known. He knew I was pregnant as well; we had names picked out. It was like losing half of me. When a Veela is rejected by its mate, it usually sends the Veela to suicide. However, since I was pregnant with my mate's child, it kept me going long enough to give birth.

"Losing you after that... I lost myself. I was empty inside. I had nothing to live for, no reason to stay and plenty of reasons to go. I was suicidal. I remember holding that baby in my arms and crying for hours until I couldn't cry anymore.

"But I was unable to actually end my life. As a submissive Veela, I did not have it in myself to kill a living being, even if it was me. I knew that if I killed myself, it would cause Lucius so much pain and I still loved him even though he had rejected me. I also refused to become my mother. To ever allow myself to be that weak – to be driven to suicide because of someone else; because of Lucius. I suppose there was also the fact that you weren't dead."

Snape looked at Harry then, and smiled. "I never understood why I didn't die from a broken heart. I should have, being rejected by Lucius and losing my child should have killed the Veela in me, but I lived 16 years. I was horribly weak from the birth, and have gotten weaker over the years, but I still lived. I guess my Veela knew, even though you had been forced that potion."

Harry had grabbed a hold of his father's hand at some point during his speech, and couldn't bring himself to let go.

"Why is it so painful to be rejected by your mate?"

"Because you are bound. Body, mind and soul, you are one. Two different bodies, but one soul. Being separated means tearing your soul in half. That is why if a Veela or his mate is killed, the other will also die. A person cannot live with half a soul. Not without being tethered somehow."

"By a child." Snape nodded.

"Are you telling me that if I have a mate, and they reject me, I will kill myself?"

Snape looked at Harry. Harry couldn't decipher any one emotion; there were so many flooding through him.

"That depends. With Lucius and I around, you would be fine but horribly depressed. It would also depend on whether you are a dark or light Veela. Light Veela all have mates, but Dark Veela do not. Of course, if you are a light Veela, or a dark Veela who can conceive, you will need your mate to live any semblance of a normal life, yes. But the point of a mate is to be everything you need for each other. The perfect person to each other."

"So mates are perfect matches for each other?" Snape nodded. "And mates cannot live without the other?" Snape nodded again. "And if a Veela is intimate with anyone that is not their mate, they feel pain worse than the Cruciatus?" Snape nodded one last time before Harry dropped his bomb.

"Then why are you being so stubborn? Lucius loves you and is sorry and wants you back. He has an inability to hurt you or live without you, just as you do him." Snape gave him a very intense look. "I can read you like a book, Dad."

Harry's eyes widened, as did Snape's, at his Dad comment. But even though he was still hesitant, and even though part of him was still angry, and even though part of him still resented Snape for being such a bastard, it felt right calling him by that word. Calling him his 'Dad'.

Harry supposed the Veela in him was helping, too.

"It is not easy to take back 16 years of hate, Harry. It will take time."

"Yes, I know. It will take time for all of us. I have no intention of being nice to the bastard anytime soon. He has a lot to be sorry for. But when you are drawn together like magnets, and there is not really any reason to resist, why not just give in? I think enough time has been wasted."

"When did you become so clever, Harry?" Snape asked, smirking at him.

"I don't know actually. It must be the Veela." Harry grinned at him. "I'm just saying, no regrets, yeah? Life is too short. That is something I have learnt the hard way."

Harry thought of Sirius then. He missed his godfather desperately still, but he knew he'd be ok now that he had Snape.

"Harry?" "Hm?" "Why do you call him 'Lucius'?"

Harry smiled. "Ron and Mione asked me that. What would you like me to call him? It takes more than blood to be a parent. He has a lot to prove before I will forgive him."

"I thought you said life was too short, and not to have any regrets?"

"He tried to kill me! And my friends! Just a couple months ago! You want me to forgive him for that? That is not a person I am willing to call my father!"

"Yet you are pushing me to get back together with him? What makes you think I want to forgive him?"

"I know you don't. I just want you to be happy. You've waited for too long."

Snape brushed a hand through Harry's hair. "So have you, son."

Harry looked at the man with tears in his eyes that he refused to let fall again. "I do want to forgive him. I do want to have two parents. I guess I'm angry at him. Angry at what he did, who he is, that he's Draco's father, and for what he did to you 16 years ago. That he could believe you would do that." Harry choked on his words then, looking away. Snape pulled his head against his chest and wrapped his arms around Harry again.

"I can understand Harry. We were both tricked back then. But I agree he has some questions to answer."

They laid there for a while, soaking in each other's presence like sponges. Harry couldn't believe how nice it was to be held by a parent. He knew that Snape would be there for him, no matter what issues he had. Harry knew that his Veela was responsible for a lot of the acceptance he was feeling, and was slightly grateful he wasn't a normal human.

Harry moved so he was lying staring at the ceiling like Snape.

"What's my name?"

He felt Snape look at him. "Excuse me?" He said flatly, uncomprehendingly.

"You said you had a name picked out. What was it?"

"Does it matter?"

"Having the name... having anything to do with the Potters makes me feel sick. Having their name makes me feel sick. Makes me feel like I'm betraying you, betraying myself, and letting Dumbledore win. I hate it. What was the name?"

"Lucius picked out the first name. He has a fascination with the Ancient Greeks. Lucius was gay before we became mates – I remember he had a picture of one of the Greek gods on his dorm wall." Snape laughed a little, making Harry smile. "Draco is an Ancient Greek name, as well as being the name of a constellation. You also have a Greek name."

"Right.. and it is?"

"He named you Alexander."

Alexander. Alex? It was a decent name, actually. Harry was afraid Snape was going to say something like Spartacus.

"And my other names?"

"Lucius and I were going to get married so your surname was to be Malfoy." Snape sounded sad, and Harry felt regret from the man.

"It is tradition for the child to take their fathers first name as their middle name. Draco's middle name is Lucius, so yours was to be Severus. Your name is Alexander Severus Malfoy."

Harry was surprised, and admitted he liked the name. It was a good name. He couldn't bring himself to take it though. Not yet.

Harry's mind went over everything that had happened so far. Snape seemed like a good man now, but Harry had seen his other side. Regardless, Harry couldn't understand why Snape would follow Voldemort. He wasn't an evil man – just a hurt, lonely man without any reason to live. Harry then understood why Snape had treated Harry the way he had. He had lashed out at everything bad in his life, and James Potter had made his childhood hell.

He had hated people in general, hated that he was being forced to live. Angry that all he had had been stolen from him.

Who would be nice after that? Snape had been brought up with hate and then forced into more by Dumbledore, even if he had been unaware of that at the time.

Maybe he could forgive Snape sooner than he thought. Forgive, but he wasn't quite at the acceptance part of this yet. He still couldn't understand why a good man with good morals would follow such an evil being.

"Why do you follow Voldemort?" Snape stiffened next to him. Harry suddenly got the feeling he wasn't going to like the answer he received.

"Before I started at Hogwarts, I spent a lot of time studying magic. Dark Magic. I was pretty adept at it before I even started school. It's very addictive, and it made me powerful enough to stand up to my father. The Dark Lord recruited me at a very young age. He promised me power. Family. That was all I ever really wanted. He treated me like a son, trained me in dark magic, and trained my Veela powers. When Lucius and I became mates, he supported us. He supported everything I ever chose to do. He actually told me to become a spy for Dumbledore – to become a teacher and pretend I was a spy for the light side.

"I guess the answer to your question is I do not follow him. He is the only family I have ever known. It is loyalty to my family that keeps me here."

"But, he's _evil_. He kills people for fun. He hates Muggles and Muggleborns because of what they are, when _he's_ a half-blood. He's tried to kill me!" That was an understatement, but Harry felt he got his point across.

"Harry, we have all fallen prey to Dumbledore's manipulations. He does not kill people for fun. Yes, he hates Muggles for personal reasons – the same reasons I hate Muggles. I'm sure the only reason you do not is that your best friend is Muggleborn. What the Dark Lord stands for is preserving our magic and our traditions. He is right when he says that us mixing with Muggles is diluting our magic. Soon there will be too few purebloods that we will all end up related. When that happens, when we are forced to breed with close cousins or half-siblings, our magic will die out completely. If things carry on as they are, magic will be gone completely.

"And he tried to kill you because of the prophecy. He would never try to hurt you now that he knows who you are – prophecy or no. He would never hurt Lucius and me by hurting you. You can trust me on that."

Harry scoffed. Snape made sense, but all Harry could see and hear was 'kill the spare'. Anger was running through Harry like fire.

"And Cedric? What was that, a slip of the tongue? You're pathetic, you know that?" He got out of the bed and yanked open the door, slamming it behind him. He walked into his room and dressed quickly. He needed to get out of here.

He practically ran out of his room and towards the grand staircase at the end of the hall. Down the step and out the door. He didn't even realise he was actually running until he stopped, breathing heavily.

He stood in front of the waterfall, watching the water trickle over the stone and listening to the soothing tones. He was furious. Furious with Snape, with Dumbledore, with himself, with this whole situation.

Forgive Snape, yes. Forgive Lucius, maybe eventually. But forgive Voldemort? His mind could not even comprehend the sentence. It was ridiculous. Harry had been told many stories about Voldemort's first reign – about how people had lived in fear for their families. Since he had been back he had laid low to protect himself, not because he had changed.

Harry hated that Snape seemed to be so very loyal to Voldemort. What would happen if Harry asked him to choose? What if Harry refused to stay here, refused to be loyal to that snake? Would Snape turn against the only parental figure he'd known? Harry knew the answer was no. Snape wouldn't be able to after what had happened with Dumbledore.

His mind was frantic, his breathing heavy even after minutes of standing still. He was terrified, he realised. Terrified he'd be forced to believe in Voldemort because if he didn't he would lose his father.

Harry couldn't breathe, couldn't think. His throat had closed up – no air would go in or out and he couldn't swallow. He was starting to feel dizzy.

"Harry!" he heard the shout from behind him, but couldn't think beyond the fact that he was going to lose his father. Of course he was. He always lost those he loved.

"Harry, listen to me. You need to calm down – you're OK, just calm down." He looked up and realised it was Hermione, with Ron knelt down beside her. A passing thought – when had he ended up on the ground? How?

Harry couldn't talk, couldn't breath. He was going to be sick.

"Harry! Listen to me." Hermione reached out a hand to shake him, but as soon as she touched him Harry felt calm flood him. When she saw him calm down, she breathed out in relief, and grabbed him, hugging him close. He felt a hand on his shoulder, knowing Ron was supporting him.

"Harry, what happened?" Ron asked, rubbing his hand gently over Harry's shoulder and the top of his back.

Harry took a shaky intake of breath.

"He's completely loyal to Voldemort. He's going to choose Voldemort over me and then he'll be gone. Everyone is always gone."

Hermione sat back, looking as though Harry was talking gobbledegook.

"What the hell are you talking about, Harry? We've never been gone!"

Harry shook his head. "Adults. Only ever adults. The Dursley's, Sirius... He will be next. Someone is _always_ next."

"You are talking complete crap, Harry." Hermione snapped, pushing him lightly. Harry knew she was right – he didn't make much sense.

"Dad – he told me why he was loyal to Voldemort. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't talk him into turning his back on Voldemort."

"I repeat, you are talking complete crap. Forget about the act that he is incapable of living without you now. Forget about the fact that you two are bound as father and son. You know, deep inside... you know how he feels. You can feel it through the bond you two share. You know, you don't need this qualifying. You are fighting against this because you are scared you might actually be happy for once. Stop fighting, Harry. Please, just be happy. You deserve to be happy."

Hermione was crying, tears streaming down her face and her hand covering her mouth. Harry felt guilty for making her cry.

"How do you know? How could you know _any_ of that?"

"Because I've seen the way he looks at you. That is unconditional love, Harry. Tell me what you feel from him all the time; tell me you don't feel that every second of the day?"

Harry nodded. He understood what she was saying. "_Say it,_ Harry."

"Hurt, fear, betrayal. Constantly, it's like it's part of him. It's like he doesn't know how to not feel those emotions. Happiness, sometimes. Want, need, whenever he's around Malfoy. And love, overriding everything else and completely all-consuming. I think it's love, anyway."

Hermione nodded her head, smiling at him. "And what do you feel now?"

Harry searched out their bond. "Worry, regret, relief..." Harry turned around to see his father stood only a few meters behind him, looking down at him.

Harry suddenly felt embarrassed.

"Harry, I am _so_ sorry. I didn't know that you would come to such an incorrect conclusion. You should know that I would never choose anyone over you. You are my life now, and that will never change. I would never force you to accept something you cannot. If you are not happy here, we will leave, no questions asked."

Harry felt relieved, mostly. There was still a hint of uncertainty, but mostly Harry trusted the man was being honest and open. He smiled up at his father, stood up and hugged him.

They walked back to the house slowly, no one in any rush to be anywhere, considering. As Harry walked through the entrance hall, he looked towards the giant door for the room he had met Voldemort in.

He needed to speak to the source.

He turned and walked into the ballroom, not bothering to knock. As predicted, Voldemort was stood in the middle of the room talking to father number 2.

Both men turned to look at him as he walked in. He felt Snape bow from behind him, and Hermione and Ron had both stopped at the door.

Harry stared at the snake without fear and growled, "Why did you kill Cedric?"

* * *

><p>Please review. Reviewers get cookies... or donuts?<p> 


	8. Pops

A/N you're probably wondering where I've been eh? If anyone is, then sorry. I'm one of those writers who .. well writes only when I get the urge. I usually write when something bad happened or I feel depressed. That or I have a story that I just have to get out of my head.

What brought me back were two things. First, one of my favourite stories of all time was removed from this site by the very author who wrote it. I've PMed her to ask why but she never replied. So, feeling utterly desolated, I took to typing. The second is because I got another story in my head that I was thiiis close to starting when I realised I could merge it with this one. So, here goes…

I had to reread the story to carry on and I had a few things stand out… is Harry to logical? I hate in fics how Harry seems to just take a slightest thing and blow it out of proportion, but I may have taken it too far the other way.

XOXOXOXOX

_He turned and walked into the ballroom, not bothering to knock. As predicted, Voldemort was stood in the middle of the room talking to father number 2._

_Both men turned to look at him as he walked in. He felt Snape bow from behind him, and Hermione and Ron had both stopped at the door._

_Harry stared at the snake without fear and growled, "Why did you kill Cedric?"_

Harry watched the snake look at him blankly, then raise an eyebrow, and knew that he would not get an answer. Cedric's death had been nothing to any of them. He was in the way, so he was killed. An innocent 17 year old boy.

"Does his death matter to you because it was I that killed him, or because he was killed in front of you?" asked Voldemort. Harry glared at the snake. He refused to call that thing a man when he had yet to see him resemble a human being.

"Why is that important? He was innocent, he didn't need to die." Harry replied.

"I didn't even kill him." Voldemort spoke calmly, completely in control. Harry felt as though he was losing it. He wondered why it mattered so much. Trying to understand the mind of a mad man was like trying to find the end of a circle.

"He was killed on your order!" Harry had shrunk back into himself slightly, but refused to look away from Voldemort.

"You blame yourself." Harry flinched internally, knowing it was true but refusing to admit it, even to himself. He saw Snape and Hermione and Ron stood around him, staring at him in realisation. Hermione had always said he had a saving people thing, and Harry was starting to wonder if she was right.

"I did not kill Cedric!" he hissed, glaring at the man in front of him.

"No, you did not. Wormtail killed Cedric, on my order. It had nothing to do with you at all. Yet, you are furious about a death that happened over a year ago, to someone you barely knew."

"This is not about me. This is me trying to understand why Cedric had to die. Trying to figure out how I can stay in the same house as someone who has tried to kill me multiple times, and kills innocent children because they can!"

Something flashed in Voldemort's eye and he nodded to himself.

"This is you seeing how far you can push me before I get angry. You might as well stop, Harry. I would never hurt Lucius or Severus, or anyone they love. I'm sure they can tell you that."

Harry took a step back like he had been slapped and looked the man in the eye. Snape had told Harry that Voldemort was like a father to him. Was the same for Lucius? As such that meant that Draco and Harry were safe form Voldemort. What about the rest of the innocent people in the world.

Did Voldemort not understand that this was not about him? Harry couldn't care less about his own safety, when the safety of his friends was on the line.

"So you're saying that my fathers are safe from you? That you have never hurt them and would never? That Draco and I are safe, too? What about Ron and Hermione, the two most important people in my life?" Harry huddled inside himself a little at that statement. Everyone knew it was true after the Tri-Wizard tournament, but it was a different thing to admit it himself. He took a deep breath and forced his courage back to the front of his mind. "What about the rest of my friends still stuck in that castle with Dumbledore? What about the millions of innocent people – Muggles and Muggleborns – that you're hunting and killing?"

Snape took a step forward then, and spoke cautiously to Harry. "Harry, the Dark Lord's goals are not as you have been led to believe. I have already told you that Dumbledore's influence –"

"_Dumbledore_ has filled everyone's head with stories of death and torture and rape, Potter. Who I actually fight is Dumbledore himself. It started when I asked him to assist me in becoming Minister for Magic. I had hoped that with his support, and the few followers I had, I would be successful. My hopes had been to restore the Wizarding world to what it had once been.

"What I hadn't realised, was that the Wizarding world had become as it is because of Dumbledore. He had slowly changed the views of those in the ministry to his own and I could not fight him. I slowly gained more power, but as I did, Dumbledore twisted my goals and I ended up the _Dark_ Lord.

"I admit to disliking Muggles, but this is simply because of my upbringing. Mixing our blood with that of Muggles will do nothing but weaken it until magic disappears. Discouraging mixing with Muggles will at least lessen the chances of this happening. The ministry encourages mixing with Muggles because it believes I wish to eliminate Muggles. Another lie told by Dumbledore.

"Of the five billion people who live in this world, only around 50 million of those are magical. However, everyday a Muggle is born with magic. These children grow up to have just as strong magic as those of pureblood. Something else Dumbledore twisted."

Harry looked at Voldemort slack-jawed and confused. Was it really possible that Dumbledore had twisted everything Voldemort had done into something bad and made the entire world believe it? Was his hold that strong?

Harry thought through everything the man had said and found himself doubting those words. Surely the Wizarding world could not be so very gullible? So trusting of a man who, if Voldemort was truthful, was completely insane?

Harry looked harder at the man. Sitting calmly on a throne that was half as tall again when he sat down, and Harry saw no deception. What was worse was that harry knew the man was not lying to him. Every word had been completely honest and Harry knew that. He could feel that, with every fibre of his being he knew that Voldemort was telling Harry the truth and the thought was terrifying.

Harry hated Dumbledore for what the man had done to him and his father and everyone else who had been hurt by Dumbledore and the Potters. Had the Potters been just as much victims as Harry and Snape and the rest of the Wizarding world? But this took it to a whole other level. This was a man who had control over the entire Wizarding world who believed every word he said. Harry had trusted the man with his life for 5 years.

Harry suddenly felt as though beating Dumbledore to a pulp would have been a good idea because the very thought of fighting a man with such a deep hold on everyone's minds seemed utterly impossible and quite terrifying.

Harry took a deep breath to get his thoughts in order. He looked towards his father, who he trusted implicitly as soon as he knew who he was, and realised that he was right where he needed to be and right where he wanted to be.

He sighed. "So you have no desire to kill Muggles, just separate them from our world?"

Voldemort looked impressed, and Harry rolled his eyes. He wasn't completely stupid. He watched the man tilt his head slightly in agreement.

"You do not wish to kill Muggleborns, and have no desire to keep them separated from our world because with them our blood remains strong?" Voldemort tilted his head again. "But you called Hermione a Mudblood and Ron a blood traitor?" Harry's voice held no spite or anger this time. He simply asked a question and knew he would get an honest and informative answer.

"Mudblood is the correct term for those born of Muggle parents, Harry. It was never meant to be offensive. Yet another term twisted by Dumbledore, although I admit it is not a very nice name. Additionally, the Weasley's are some of Dumbledore's greatest supporters, and therefore support a man who wishes to integrate Muggles into our world."

"Not knowingly! My parents would never have supported that man if they'd known what he was doing! This is partly your fault – you never tried to change anyone's opinions of you!"

Voldemort turned his attention to Ron and glared. "Of course I tried," he hissed, "but how do you think people take being told that Dumbledore is the problem and that I simply wish to make our blood stronger? Before today, if you had been told that, you would have laughed and gone happily back to kissing Dumbledore's arse."

Ron still looked angry, but did not deny what Voldemort had said. Harry had to agree – he was still finding it difficult to believe that Voldemort was innocent in this. Harry knew he wasn't completely, but fighting a wizard like Dumbledore would change anybody right?

"And Cedric?" Harry still wanted to know, and would not drop the subject.

Voldemort sat back in his chair and rolled his eyes, hissing, "Why does that matter to you?"

Harry shrugged. He didn't really know why but he suspected that Voldemort may have been right – Harry blamed himself for Cedric's death. Illogical, so he would not admit it to the Dark Lord looking down his nose at him.

He knew though, Harry could tell. When had he become so adept at reading people? It wasn't just Snape that he could read like a book – Voldemort was clear to him too. He could see that the man knew why he wanted to know, but he couldn't feel the emotion Voldemort felt because of that.

Was this one of his Veela powers then? Harry liked it. He liked the idea of being able to tell when people were lying to him.

"You were never supposed to come back from that graveyard, Harry. No one was supposed to know that I had been resurrected. Of course, Harry Potter would screw up my plans. He died because I didn't want him returning to Dumbledore and telling him. You were supposed to die, too." The snake-faced man spoke with such calm that Harry burst out laughing.

He looked at Ron and Hermione who were smiling at him and then turned back to Voldemort and said, gasping, "Sorry about that. I've always had the best luck."

"Understatement." Mumbled Lucius. Harry glared at him and then turned away, determined to ignore his sperm donor.

"I am not a nice man, Harry. Do not underestimate that."

Harry laughed again. "Oh, I have no plans to. That doesn't mean I have any plans of fearing you, or allowing you to command me. I will not become a Death Eater, and I will not take your orders. These two can do as they please," he pointed to Snape and Lucius, "but I will not. I will act as I see fit."

Voldemort glared at Harry and clenched his jaw. He stared at Harry and the newly blonde-haired boy stared right on back, never breaking eye contact and never flinching.

"My most loyal have already been told that their children will not be marked. Whether they decide to follow me is their own prerogative."

Harry smiled at the man, eyes twinkling. "Good to know. Now, what do I call you, because I sure as hell ain't calling you Voldemort."

Snake-face glared and looked towards Snape. "Get him out of here."

Harry chucked and turned towards Hermione and Ron, walking to the door. Both were holding back smiles as they walked out of the large hall. Harry held the door open for Hermione, Ron and Snape, smiling at his father who glared at him as he walked through the door.

"If you think of him as a father, maybe I should call his Grandad? Or Pops?" Harry's smiled widened as Snape balked, and Ron and Hermione burst out laughing.

"I like that. Lord _Pops_." Harry walked away from the group, one of who was staring at Harry in disbelief and the other two laughing so hard they could barely walk. Harry turned and watched them wipe tears from their eyes before they finally caught up to him.

"What's for lunch? I'm starving!"

Harry grinned while Hermione simply sighed and complained, "You're always hungry!"

"I am not!"

"Yes you are!"

Harry listened to them argue, feeling the words flow over him and enjoyed the normalcy. He turned to his father and Harry smiled at the man, who smiled back.

Harry couldn't remember every feeling this happy and content. A small pang of doubt hit him and he wondered when this calm would be uprooted again.

XOXOXOXOX

I didn't mean to finish this on a high note, but once my fingers got going I couldn't stop. Besides, the Pops things had me grinning because I can totally imagine Voldemort's reaction to that name.

I like where this story is heading now.

MATES! I have changed my mind and it will no longer be a trio fic. It will be a moresome.. Harry will have at least two mates, maybe more depending on what you guys want really. I know one, but ideas for the others are highly welcome, please. Is anyone opposed to Ron being a mate? I know this isn't a very popular ship.


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